The Melody of Lent

 

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when I sing in glory, I know the new, new song will be the old, old story that I have loved so long.  I love to tell the story; and when I am in glory I'll tell the old, old story of Jesus' endless love.

 We wrap up and wind down another week.  I pray you have found the meditations this week meaningful and insightful – not only into a beautiful hymn but into the stories you tell others.  Two quick thoughts about the fourth and final verse.  First, I believe that we don’t have to wait until we are in heaven to sing in glory.  We sing in glory anytime we let God’s story embrace and be embodied in our story.  And singing doesn’t always mean vocalizations coming out of my mouth.  I sing in glory on Palm Sunday as I wave my palm branch while my heart silently cries out, “Hosanna”.  I sing in glory on Maundy Thursday as I break bread in stillness letting the spirit meet each of us.  I sing in glory on Good Friday – softly and tenderly in the face of God’s vulnerability on the cross.  I sing in glory on Easter when the mystery of God’s unceasing love breaks forth from the tomb.  I sing in glory every day that I remember the truth that God is always present and part of my life.  How I sing, whether I am in tune with God’s good news, and if I only do so half-heartedly – all that is up to each of us every day.

Second, when we are hungering and thirsting, we are longing for connections and community.  Humans are social beings.  This is because we are created by a divine dance of the Trinity – God and Christ and the Spirit are all in relationship.  To be crafted, created by that source means we will all crave connection.  Part of the pain of this pandemic is both that we cannot sing together and part is that we cannot be together to see each other.  Part of the pain is that telling your story to a screen over zoom or into the phone just isn’t the same.  I pray that as we emerge from the tomb (or could also be a womb) of the COVID cocoon, we will do so prayerfully and intentionally and hopefully and lovingly and telling a story that is bigger than any of us, but in which we can find ourselves.

If we can do that…my friends…we will discover the good news of God’s love that we can share with others.  May it be so for you and me.  May God’s love enfold and hold you as we enter our holiest week this coming Sunday.  Amen.