Close to our Savior, our
brother
feeling the yoke, the weight
He carried
the cross He bore, for me,
for you
walking yoked with Him, as
were his first disciples
feeling His strength, His
suffering, His courage
as vividly as if it were
today
the Word made flesh, walking
this journey
guiding us, walking with us
closer to Christ, in this
Lenten season
feeling Him with us along
the way
marching, as His apostles, His
witnesses
out into the world, His
messengers
His light closer to them
those who need His love
those like you and me
edited March 23, 2014
Closer to Christ – v3
edited January 18, 2014
Closer to Christ – v2
February 21, 2009
Closer to Christ
based on email Partners in Ministry message
2/20/09 from Bishop Peter Weaver
“TIME AND FASTING.
As we begin Lent, I would once
again commend to you the wonderful spiritual discipline of fasting. John Wesley
considered it one of the six primary "means of Grace." But I was
surprised to read TIME magazine’s cover story (Feb. 23) on "How Faith Can
Heal" commending fasting also. "One of the staples of both
traditional wellness protocols and traditional religious rituals is the
cleansing fast, which is said to purge toxins... Done right, these fasts may
lead to a state of clarity and even euphoria." Dr. Catherine Gordon of
Children's Hospital Boston is quoted about the positive changes that occur in
the body and brain (and I would add, spirit) during a "short-term
fast." The "Wesley fast" consists of not eating from after
dinner on one day to just before dinner on the next day... giving up two meals
over a twenty four hour period. If you have any questions about your health you
should check with your doctor first. It can be tough at first, but the members
of the congregations I served and I found it to be a great blessing whether
used just during Lent, or year around as Wesley did.
There are other
forms of fasting, such as foregoing things we think we "can't do
without" like television or shopping for non-necessities. The time saved
or the money saved can then be put to extra time for meditation or supporting
special mission projects. It becomes a plus, not really a minus. Fasting
centers us in the Spirit, confirming that strength that is greater than our
appetites. It is an exercise in "God's will, not mine be done." What
may seem at first to be "denial" becomes "affirmation," and
that which at first seems to be "depriving" becomes a fullness of
cleansing and clarity. Try it yourself, and commend it to your congregation.
Whatever spiritual
disciplines you undertake during Lent, I pray that they will draw you closer to Christ, the Cross, and
New Life!”
All of my
poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved.
Contact me at Ray Foss
for usage. See all 28,530+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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