Lent: an opportunity to “Be Still”
Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God!”
Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
I have greatly limited my news intake. I tried to cut it off all together and found that meant I also had to cut communication off with almost all of the people I enjoy talking with. It is hard to escape the feeling that everything is urgent and doomed. The news scrolls endlessly. Headlines compete for our attention. Stories of conflict, egregious behaviors, and uncertainty pile up faster than we can process them. Even when we turn the volume down, the weight of it all lingers in our bodies and spirits.
Many of us are trying to stay informed, to care deeply, to do what we can for what is right and yet, we find ourselves exhausted, anxious and nerves stretched thin. Faith is hard when we feel like we want to just ignore the world’s pain, but fortunately, it doesn’t ask us to be the only one who cares and makes an effort.
This is where scripture reminds us that we are not to do it alone. “Bear one another’s burdens” and that it is important to also “be still.” In times of my great anxiety, I ground myself, take a few deep breaths, and imagine God saying, “Be still and know that I am God!” I say this over and over until my breathing matches the words. I encourage you to do this when feeling overwhelmed. It is a good way to seek God’s calm in order to focus our attention into the space of faith.
Faithful attention is different from anxiety. Anxiety keeps us scanning for danger, bracing for what might come next. Faithful attention invites us to notice where God is already present. God is here, now, in this moment. Faithful attention allows us to stay awake to the world’s needs while also staying rooted in God’s steadiness.
As we look ahead to the season of Lent, we are invited into this posture more intentionally. Lent is often misunderstood as a season of giving things up or doing more spiritual work. But at its heart, lent is about honesty and attention: paying attention to the lives we are living, the journeys we are on, and the ways God is meeting us along the way. It requires us to ensure we are turning toward God, into faith.
As we prepare for Lent, and during the six weeks of Lent, we can ask ourselves:
Where am I rushing when God is inviting me to pause?
What noise is drowning out God’s voice?
What helps me feel grounded in God’s love?
The season invites us into silence as a way of returning to it with clearer hearts and steadier faith. In stillness, we remember that God is not absent from the chaos. In silence, we learn again that we are not responsible for fixing everything, only for being faithful where we are.
As Lent approaches, you might consider one small practice that helps you turn toward God:
A few minutes of quiet prayer each day.
Reading a short scripture or devotion slowly and reflectively.
Stepping outside for a mindful walk (we will be focusing on this in our worship series).
Turning off the noise for a set time and sitting in God’s presence instead.
These practices do not disconnect us from the world; they reconnect us to God, who holds the world far more securely than we ever could. May we draw closer to God who meets us in both the stillness and the chaos, who restores us and sends us back into the world with love.
Jaime Rogers-Fairchild, Pastor