Sacramental Living

Around 5 years or so ago, when I was serving as a youth pastor, I used to throw around a personal motto or mantra: lex orandi, lex credendi.  The Latin means “the rule of prayer, is the rule of belief.”  My paraphrase became: “the way you worship is the way you live.”

Worship used to be all-encompassing.  Not that I always worshiped, but I certainly did my best to direct all attention to the One who is greater.  That’s what I taught (and hopefully) modeled for my teens.  That in actions, thoughts, and words, God would be recognized and we would be humble.

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Easter (liturgical white) season has come and gone.

The Pentecost (liturgical red) party is over.

Now is the extraordinary span of Ordinary Time (liturgical green). That long green run into discipleship. Or at least it should be.

But I’m still stuck on the day after Easter, staring at an empty tomb.

After the hoopla and thrill of knowing the One is alive, I’m thinking on the meaning of an empty tomb.

Poor thing, that tomb. Didn’t even get to keep it’s quarry but a few days. Due to the 100 or so pounds of spices Joseph of Arimethea hooked up, there wasn’t even a smell of decay before the tomb’s resident hopped up and out.

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This is the first Lenten season I’ve been unable to take large chunks of time for prayer and reflection. Having been in “professional ministry” (whatever that is) for the last many years, I was able to take half-days and whole days for reflection, silence, and meditation.

During previous Lents, I have been able to move beyond repentence to cherishing the simple truth of God’s presence. This year, however, I have stayed in confession mode … and I haven’t tried to move beyond it. But this has been ok.

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