I’ve decided to get stoned for Lent.
As I walked into my church’s sanctuary on Ash Wednesday, I had no intention of doing the deed. In fact, for years I have easily avoided this peculiar tradition. Just because other people get stoned it did not mean I had to join in. But the somber mood of the evening, the poignant prayers and the unbroken wooing of ‘Kyrie Eleison’ from the choir softened my heart. This year I needed something tangible to hold on to, something that reminded me of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for humanity, something to strengthen me as I fast (my particular object of Lenten sacrifice) over the next forty days. It was time to give in and get stoned.
Before all my pot-smoking friends get giddy with excitement about a possible new smoking buddy, let me explain myself.
I go to Irving Bible Church (Irving, Texas), a thriving interdenominational community with evangelical roots and liturgical propensities. How many churches, with a Baptist foundation, preach from the lectionary, observe the traditional Church calendar, and integrate candles, confession, and communion in their regular gatherings? IBC is an exceptional community and I am elated to call it my church. Along with ancient and modern traditions, IBC has also added a few of their own.
During Lent, several bowls can be found scattered throughout the sanctuary. They are filled with small white stones. The stones are there to remind us of Jesus’ forty-day fast in the desert. As Jesus grew physically weak from hunger, the devil came to tempt him. From the Gospel of Matthew 4:
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry.And the tempter came and said to him,“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
At first, after you take the stone, put it in your pocket, and carry it with you, you hardly notice its existence. But it’s not long before you feel the full weight of the rock. It’s heavier than it appears. The jagged stone presses on your skin and rubs into your flesh. At first it is irritating. Pretty soon, it feels as big as a cross.
Daily, we are tempted to give up on our Lenten fast. Eventually, that cup of coffee will beg you to sip it or you will feel too tired to pick up your Bible. You will miss the taste, smell and texture of bread, or you will want to turn on your TV for just a couple of minutes to catch the news.
When your mind is screaming at you to break your fast and feed your flesh, it’s time to get stoned. Reach down, grab that weighty rock in your pocket, and pray, “God, help me to not live by [fill in the blank] alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Take a moment to close your eyes and ask for the Holy Spirit to take the place of that thing you want. Ask God to be the object of your desire. And remember our Savior, who carried the burden of all our sins in His being while carrying the cross, so that we may be set free.
Maybe you need to get stoned this Lenten season.
Comments on this entry are closed.