The Cleansing of the Furnace Room

Scripture

The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often went without eating. Some people came and asked Jesus, “Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?” Jesus answered: “The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.” (Mark 2:18-20 CEV)

The Cleansing of the Furnace Room

Last week my most significant Lenten exercise involved a pickup truck and a trip to the transfer station (we used to call it “going to the dump”). There are few inexpensive pleasures that match disposing of a pile of the “stuff” that has cluttered the furnace room and basement storage for years, moved around but never used, and not useful to anyone else. I just needed to decide to clean up.

That trip to the dump and my friend Ray Simpson’s prayer for today have shaped my attention to Lent this year.  I like his line “leave behind the things that tie our spirits down”. Clean out the storage rooms of life to create space for light, breath, and others, and for the Spirit to lift us rather than be weighed down.

Often we want to give up chocolate or lemon meringue pie or some such. I’m trying to find ways to declutter my inner spirit closet space and allow me to see Jesus in his full vulnerable humanity with the mystery of his eternal power to give life and forgiveness.

Jesus himself advised us to find spiritual practices that are appropriate for us and for the current state of our relationship with God. This isn’t a time to add more obligations, rather we are eliminating stuff we already know weighs us down.

A Prayer for Today

Lead us into the desert of purging that through reflection and prayer
we may leave behind the things that tie our spirits down and
learn again to be your pilgrim people.
Through fasting from the frenzied feeding of false desires,
through study of your word, meditation and acts of service,
restore the clearness of our seeing and
free us to share your generous love with all. …. For Jesus’s sake.

 (Ray Simpson Celtic Prayers for Life Today)