Dwelling

I was in New York for Ash Wednesday. That morning, I walked by an Episcopal church where they were imposing ashes in front of the church, clergy standing on the sidewalk. I stopped to receive them and carried on with my trek downtown. It was rush hour so streets were packed. At one intersection, I dashed to cross the street before the light changed. A young buck was doing the same in another direction. He almost knocked me over. Didn’t even say sorry. My initial reaction was to let an expletive fly.

Then I remembered ashes on my forehead and thought that any expression of my enraged response would reveal my well-hidden hypocrisy. So I kept quiet and went on my way.

But I got to thinking, maybe I should have an ashen sign of the cross on my forehead all the time, a constant reminder of who I am trying to follow, what he would call me to do, how I’m meant to relate to those around me, and how I don’t always get it right. Maybe those perpetual ashes would serve as a course correction when road rage (or other kinds of rage) surfaced.

I thought about the rite of baptism, during which the candidate for baptism receives the sign of the cross in oil on the forehead. The oil is not visible, but it is there all the time. We are sealed as Christ’s own forever. So when we’re crossing intersections or navigating heavy traffic or waiting on long lines or dealing with difficult relatives or doing business or watching the news, we are called to recall that the sign of the cross is there, shaping the way we respond amid the vicissitudes of life.

I believe that this all relates to the psalm we heard yesterday in church (reprinted in this email.) Notice in the psalm how it speaks about where we dwell. We abide under the shadow of the almighty. God becomes our refuge and stronghold. We make the Most High our habitation. It’s so much more than simply embracing theological precepts or ethical code. It’s about where we live. About how we live.

How do we come to see that all of our lives unfold in God’s presence, that we make the Holy One our habitation? One of my spiritual guides, the Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, speaks about a method of bible study called Dwelling in the Word. It’s a process of letting scripture become part of us, as the word “dwell” or “abide,’ used often in Scripture and hymnody, means to live or remain somewhere or with someone for a time. The practice of Dwelling in the Word invites communities to live together with a text for a period so that the reflections, wonderings, and promptings of God’s Word form and shape faith and living. (If you want to know more about this process, google will help.)

Lent is a season when we’re invited to focus on spiritual practices, a growth opportunity for many Episcopalians. Those practices have to do with the way we spend our time, the way we live our lives, where we dwell. Practices might be including a rhythm of prayer in a daily calendar or putting a time of prayer on your to-do list, keeping a prayer list of concerns close to your heart, making a list of ten things for which you are grateful each day, reading spiritual books or signing up for a daily devotional, committing to a ministry of service, looking for daily opportunities to offer encouragement and affirmation.

And as much as we might need to adopt practices, we may need a change of heart. During Lent, we'll hear several times this verse from Psalm 51: Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Perhaps a prayer for a clean heart, a right spirit can be our constant Lenten appeal to God.

If we’re feeling like dwelling is too hard or mysterious or confusing, remember that grace always precedes. John’s gospel kicks off by reminding us that Jesus was the word made flesh who dwelt among us. Literally pitched a tent in our midst. Our tradition tells us that there is Christ in each person. As we remember that the Holy One dwells in us, we can find strength and guidance to make the Holy One our habitation.

So ask yourself this Lent: Where are you dwelling? Are you dwelling on negativity? Do you live in your head where resentments have taken up residence? Or can you take some step in these coming days to make the Holy One your habitation?

-Jay Sidebotham

Interested in RenewalWorks for your parish? Learn more about how RenewalWorks works!

RenewalWorks: Helping churches focus on spiritual growth

RenewalWorks is about re-orienting your parish around spiritual growth. And by spiritual growth – we mean growing in love of God and neighbor.

Churches can launch as part of a fall or spring cohort or go on their own schedule. (Now accepting signups for the January 2025 cohort)  Sign up now!