Kingdom Compost and some Celine Dion

Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.
The Kingdom of God advances as we learn to die. That our lives may become kingdom compost.

The church generally has been more interested in how to grow than how to die, and ironically the more it struggles for its life the more it dies.
.. but that may be for another post.

Personally, Lent calls to me this year and reminds me to pray, to fast, and to give. One would assume a Jesus follower is doing these things continually and steadfast. Yet it's amazing when we step back and look hard into how we spend each day how much these practices are missing from our lives.

We like to say "I pray continually"
Or "I fasted breakfast this morning as I ran out the door running late"
"I give, I have a weekly automatic withdrawl for tithe."

hmmm... Nope.

The temptation for too many of us is to believe because God loves us the way He does, He understands "how insane my life is," and accepts my "sacrifices" as they are. As I am.
And I would make no argument against that! Except! Because God loves us in the extraordinary way He does, our response becomes Loving God, with all our heart, mind, soul, strength. As one of my favorite authors, Richard Rohr says in his new book, Divine Dance, "God can only be loved and enjoyed..."
Specific and intentional moments of Prayer - Fasting - Giving are at the heartbeat of following Jesus any further.

Doing these things will slow your heart, they will make every beat count.

They will slow your breathing, turning your lungs into hermeneutical instruments of grace.

It will empty out your belly, and fill up your life force. Your soul.

It will open your hands, to release and receive.. and release again.

This Lent, may we come to our End. So that we may Begin Again.





All I have left here is a slightly unrelated quote from, you guessed it, Celine Dion -
"You were my strength when I was weak; you were my voice when I couldn't speak; you were my eyes when I couldn't see; you saw the best there was in me; lifted me up when I couldn't reach, you gave me faith because you believed. I'm everything I am because you loved me."
So good! Right!? Go ahead, sing it. 😉