Today I needed a reminder of why I am here. It is the last week of field education and, let’s face it, I feel like I’m ready for the “real stuff” now – whatever that means! Why does it matter that I sit at St. Nicholas on most Tuesdays and Wednesdays and some Thursdays and Fridays when there are relatively few parishioners who stop by – and those who do are here largely for ministries of their own, not seeking ministry? Today, I received a reminder.
One of the men from the AA group that meets here everyday at noon, came into the office and said, why do we have Lent for six weeks. As I explained the 40 days of Lent – relating the days both to the time of Noah and the flood and to Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness – it became real to me once more. He was concerned because he couldn’t find any biblical warrant for this period of 40 days of fasting and I explained that it was actually an invention of the church that – if the Ash Wednesday sermon which Manny preached is correct (and I have no reason to doubt its veracity) – emerged in the 8th century with Charlemagne. The man from AA looked at me in silence for a moment and then said, “I think you mean created, not invented – that’s more in line with what God asks us to do.” I smiled back and said, “Thank you. You’re right. I’ll remember that – created, not invented.”
This is why it matters that I sit at St. Nicholas even when relatively few parishioners stop by. I am here to minister to those who are here and they, in turn, are here to minister to me – all in the name of the One Lord and Creator of us all.
One of the men from the AA group that meets here everyday at noon, came into the office and said, why do we have Lent for six weeks. As I explained the 40 days of Lent – relating the days both to the time of Noah and the flood and to Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness – it became real to me once more. He was concerned because he couldn’t find any biblical warrant for this period of 40 days of fasting and I explained that it was actually an invention of the church that – if the Ash Wednesday sermon which Manny preached is correct (and I have no reason to doubt its veracity) – emerged in the 8th century with Charlemagne. The man from AA looked at me in silence for a moment and then said, “I think you mean created, not invented – that’s more in line with what God asks us to do.” I smiled back and said, “Thank you. You’re right. I’ll remember that – created, not invented.”
This is why it matters that I sit at St. Nicholas even when relatively few parishioners stop by. I am here to minister to those who are here and they, in turn, are here to minister to me – all in the name of the One Lord and Creator of us all.
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