TGIF

( | o )====::: says:

Excellent idea, regardless of who’s first!

Seeking restoration here with any and all I have personally offended or who have personally offended me. We can disagree about ideas and outlooks but each here is highly esteemed and valued as persons bearing the image of God.

Martin Luther's Disciple says:

Do I get presents? 🙂

Josh Hamrick says:

I like the idea…

Now I need to find someone to offend so I can truly celebrate the holiday.

Rob Murphy says:

edit, first sentence of quote ” . .. why would such a good, perfect . . .”

whose fingers are these?

Martin Luther's Disciple says:

Josh,
I will send you some people on my list (those I have offended) – heck, I even offend myself a couple of times a day.

But I still need to know – do I get presents? those are great motivators for me to get in the spirit.

Michael says:

From Xenias link…
“On the first night of Lent, as Vespers comes to an end, my husband turns from the altar. He asks everyone to form a circle around the interior of the church, and when we’re in place, the person next to him—in this case, our son David—steps over to face his dad. My husband crosses himself, bows to David, then says, “Forgive me, my brother, for any way I have sinned against you. ” David says, “I forgive you,” and they embrace. Then it’s David’ s turn to bow to his dad and ask the same question, and receive the same forgiveness and embrace.

The ancient rite of forgiveness has begun. David steps to the next person in line to repeat the exchange, and a different parishoner faces my husband; before the evening is over every single person here will have asked for and received forgiveness from every other.

Orthodox Christians have done this for centuries, every year on the first night of Lent, to cleanse past wounds and allow a fresh start. When I next look up I see David embracing his younger brother Stephen. Where David is quiet-natured, a cool stream, Stephen is a geyser, full of passionate opinion, wide-flinging love and, not infrequently, anger. There were things to be forgiven there.

At last the rite has reached my point in line, and one at a time I bow to people I worship with every week, looking each one in the eye. Each moment is intimate, and I feel on the wobbly border between embarassment, laughter and tears. When I ask 12-year-old Melanie to forgive me, she says, “Not that you’ve done anything, but okay.” Basil is giving out enveloping bear hugs with exclamations of “Praise Jesus! Praise Jesus!” Down the line, worshippers dip and bend as in a country dance.

I come to my daughter Megan, who will be eighteen in a few days. She has made it safely to adulthood past an adolescence that had it rocky places; yes, there are things to forgive here too. I bow to her and manage to say, past the lump in my throat, “Megan, please forgive me for any way that I have offended you.” I could think of a million mistakes I had made. She looks at me, her lashes wet, and says, “I forgive you, Mom.” Then she bends to touch the floor and stands again, and says to me, “Please forgive me, Mom, for everything.”

Can a mother do such a thing? You bet. A moment later we are in a marshmallowy embrace.

Soon we are headed across the parking lot, the boys racing ahead. Megan puts her arm around me as we amble along, and I look up at a black sky spattered with stars. From this night to Easter morning a desert stretches, but it has begun with light.”

Martin Luther's Disciple says:

I like Xenia’s article. It is amazing how the American Church has gotten away from so many things that were built into worship through the Liturgy to cover all of this. Actually, the “meet & greet” part of the service (the fill time while the pastor gets up to the pulpit) was originally at the beginning of the service and it was the time that worshipers were to go to their neighbor, even if they sat on the opposite side of the building and to mend any differences that they may have before the worship began (at least to have it out of the way before communion.) In the Lutheran Church it is called The Peace, and it has been shortened to walking around and saying to each other “The Peace of the Lord be with you” and the reply would be either “The Peace of the Lord be with you also” or “ditto” (jk).

But now a days, even with us salt water Lutherans it becomes greetings and fill time.

Psalm62 says:

i’m sitting here (ignoring my useless new printer) and asking myself what is wrong with the rituals that express the realities of our faith… Xenia’s description of the Lenten forgiveness ritual is beautiful… my rebel protesting heart keeps beating…

firstly, we shouldn’t need such a ritual (yes, we do seem to need it, tho)
secondly, that ritual is only as good as the attitude (heart) of the participants (as described, it certainly did move to soften hearts to the reality)
thirdly, i’m afraid that the church as a whole would soon descend into a day of giving presents to atone for offenses – in some cases that would be good 😉
fourthly, i’m all pondered out now

Isaiah56:1 says:

As I read Xenia’s account, I had tears in my eyes. Oh how I pray for such a day in my own circle…

Jerry F says:

Eggs for Easter. Gifts for Christmas…hmmm. I think I’ll stick to the Holy Ghost and the conviction of my heart to repentence. It’s more timely and I get the point more quickly. On the other hand, getting another self-indulgent holiday might balance out the year of over comercialized former christian holidays. Boy, I’m in a bad mood. I think I’ll hit the prayer closet…REPENT and ask GOD’s FORGIVENESS.

Xenia says:

Psalmy, I understand your reservations. 🙂

Let me just say this. If the Church is (among other things) an educational institution, there are many ways to educate people besides Bible study.

People often say to me, regarding Lent, “Why do you need a special season for fasting? You can fast anytime you want to.” True, but before I learned about Lent, I NEVER fasted. The Church has taught me how to fast, something I didn’t know how to do before.

People will look at my morning and evening prayer rule and say “Why so rigid? You can pray anytime you want to.” True, and I do. But before I was introduced to the joy of a prayer rule my prayer life was totally chaotic and for the most part, non-existent. The Church taught me how to pray.

And so it is with Forgiveness Vespers. I should continually be forgiving people as the opportunity arises, and of course, I try to. But often I miss the opportunity, out of carelessness, apathy, or pride. This simple little ritual helps us overcome the obstacles. It teaches us how to forgive folks in a simple, non-threatening way.

So it is with many disciplines of the Christian life. I could do it all on my own without the ancient rituals but the truth is, I seldom did. I am thankful for these liturgical training wheels.

But you are right. If done with a cold heart, what good is it. But sometimes the very act of participating can warm up a cold heart!

Bob Sweat says:

The Democrats must be reading PP.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1242

Sister Christian says:

Rob Murphy,

Thanks for sharing this encouragement with us!

“Then Keller: “God did not create us to get the cosmic, infinite joy of mutual love and glorification, but to share it. We were made to join in the dance. If we will center our lives on him, serving him not out of self-interest, but just for the sake of who he is, for the sake of his beauty and glory, we will enter the dance and share in the joy and love he lives in. We were designed then not just for belief in God in some general way, nor for a vague kind of inspiration or spirituality. We were made to center our lives upon him, to make the purpose and passion of our lives knowing, serving, delighting, and resembling him. This growth in happiness will go on eternally, increasing unimaginably ( 1 Cor. 2.7-10)”

We were made to center our lives upon Him, to make the purpose and passion of our lives knowing, serving, delighting, and resembling Him. This growth in happiness will go on eternally,increasing unimaginably.

The truths that Xenia talks about,
such as this one example:

“And so it is with Forgiveness Vespers. I should continually be forgiving people as the opportunity arises, and of course, I try to. But often I miss the opportunity, out of carelessness, apathy, or pride. This simple little ritual helps us overcome the obstacles. It teaches us how to forgive folks in a simple, non-threatening way.

So it is with many disciplines of the Christian life. I could do it all on my own without the ancient rituals but the truth is, I seldom did. I am thankful for these liturgical training wheels.”

the disciplines taught through the liturgy and rituals of the church ( many which are not practiced generally in evangelical churches, etc… these things that we should but dont normally think to do on our own, go a long way to help us develope the growth in Christian happiness, in knowing, delighting in Our Lord.

Psalm62 says:

reading the above wisdom and it occurs to me that i can’t think of any Scripture that instructs us to not do good unless we ‘feel’ like it … i’m sure that i am way more than a little guilty of ‘passing by on the other side of the road’…

i hope that those good men (and women one time, too) that, over the years, stopped to help me or my daughters with car problems received more blessing than just my heart felt ‘thank you.’ How often did i pray in remembrance? not very often

BTW? cars don’t break down as much as they used to, it seems to me – dunno

back to finishing my taxes up with a grateful heart, believe it or not – praying that God will give those in authority wisdom and a conscience as they allocate our hard earned dollars

BrianD says:

There’s a discussion on The Shack going on at my church’s The City site. Same arguments down both sides that were made here. I jumped in to the discussion.

…now perhaps I need to pick up the book and read it… 😉