The Second Day of Great Lent

Clean Monday has come and gone and we are now quickly into the Lenten Season. I was inspired at the service of the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete last night for two reasons.

1. 13 people came and celebrated the Canon on a day when we had over 12 inches of snow. Truthfully, I did not expect anyone to be there and it was so uplifting to have people to pray with that first day of Lent.

2. I think for the first time I really heard the words of Psalm 69/70  (read during the Canon service):

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! Let them be appalled because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!” May all who seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee! May those who love thy salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! Thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not tarry!

The time of Great Lent is about many different things...prayer, fasting, services, alms-giving, compassion, forgiveness etc., but I think that the foundation of Lent, its bedrock, is the knowledge of the necessity of our reliance on God, our unworthiness if you will, and the need to have God as our defender. This Psalm speaks directly to this as a cry to God to protect us and accept us as we are, our sins and all. 

So...how do we acknowledge our sinfulness, our need for God, our need for deliverance? The simplest way is through the disciplines of Lent, prayer and fasting.

Prayer is, in its simplest sense, a conversation with God, a relationship with Him. It is the opportunity to talk with a friend, a confidant, a willing listener, a helper and deliverer. We pray to God as a cry for help in this desolate land of "society" that we live in. If we can truly pray, if we can truly shut out the world around us and concentrate on God, then we acknowledge our need for Him.

Fasting allows us the same opportunity. Make no mistake, fasting is not easy. If it was easy, everyone would do it. But the effort to set aside all of the gluttony and overindulgence of society and live a simpler life draws us closer to God and once again highlights for us our need for Him. We need to fast and pray so that we can shut out all of the noise of this world and hear that still small voice of God.

It is that still small voice that will defend us, that will stand by us, that will save us.