Friday, February 23, 2018
SPRINGING
Hi There!
Spring wants to spring!
Around here you can almost hear it saying,
"Enough already with weary winter.
Let's lighten up, warm up, pop up."
All this in February right here
in Mid-Atlantic, USA!!
One night it's a freezing fifteen degrees.
The next day it's sweater weather
for us old timers,
and tee shirts for the teens
at seventy two degrees.
It snows vigorously for a few hours and
two days later crocuses are popping up.
Some of the farm fields hereabouts
evidence a hopeful blush of green.
Spring wants to spring.
So do our spirits.
You can almost hear them saying,
" Enough already with
weary soul winter.
Let's lighten up,
warm up, pop up."
Corporately we call
this Spirit Springing,
Lent.
It's very name, Lent,
derives from the word "lengthen."
The days lengthen in light,
springing forth from
the dreary dark of winter.
Our spirits want to "spring " as well.
They long for an enlightenment
that thaws through to
a wonderful warming of soul,
and all sorts of new aliveness
popping up within us.
In church circles,
Lent is a time for
repentance.
Now there is a word that will put
a winter chill right back into
most people!!
We'd like to take a pass
on repentance just now, thank you!!
Well, let's give it another look.
Pardon, not my French,
but my Latin.
"Re" means
"again."
"Pendere" means
"to arrange,"
"to hang."
So, in it's purity
"re - pendere,"
repentance,
is a Spring Thing.
It means we do some Spring Cleaning,
indeed clearing.
Repentance is a joyful,
creative, experience actually.
We note disorder and delight
in reordering,
"re - arranging "
for a refreshed living spirit space,
a new season of grace growth.
It's like rehanging ("re-pendere")
pictures, drapes and mirrors
that are off center,
righting things.
It's like rearranging
("re-pendere")
furniture and fixtures
that clutter -
clearing for a
new spaciousness.
As we Spirit Spring,
in this Lenten season of
repentance,
this time of rearranging,
let's consider:
- What thought patterns,
longings, fantasies do need
some rearranging
- how can we clear better space for
quiet and meditation
- what activities and relationships
are ready for a healthy touch up
- how use the "light" of soul to join
up with folks in moving society
past the dark of dirty, depressing politics,
of so misnamed "white" nationalism,
of media manipulation and madness,
of gun, nuclear, sexual and every other
hideous monster of violence
- how to happy up finding ways
to renew religious groupings,
family life, friendships,
social gatherings -
everything from soccer teams
to neighborhood picnics
- how to dust off and polish up
commitment to
environmental care
- while holding on to our day job,
cutting loose for the joys
of free, creative frolic -
go hiking and skinny dipping
( o k, wait a bit til the temperature
warms more for the skinny dipping ),
write some poetry,
paint a picture,
jam with some friends,
read a really good novel or biography,
cook a grand meal
( complemented, of course,
with a worthy wine )
and have friends over
- recommit to walking
with a spiritual companion,
more formally called
a spiritual director
- gather friends for
a heaven of a good time
giving a Saturday to
Habitat for Humanity,
or taking a bunch of needful kids
for a day in the country
Please let's just use the above as prompts.
For sure we'll all evolve our own list
as we delight in the light and freedom of
Spring Cleaning,
Spirit Springing.
This week our sharing here
at "frankly speaking"
widened to Peru.
Bienvenido!!
See you next week.
Lenten On!!
Spirit Springing!!
Holding you in
God's Dear Love,
John Frank
