Dear Caldwell,
Gail here. We are in the second week of Lent, the 40 days of preparation that lead us to cross, to the crucifixion of our Lord, and to the empty tomb of our Risen Lord. This year, we have chosen the word “Empty” as our theme.
For some, that word brings up negative images and connotations. For example, an empty bank account. An empty place at the table when someone we love leaves or passes away. There is an empty place, or more than one in each of us and in our lives, that we are often faced with. Perhaps you have a place of emptiness in your life that you long for God to fill.
Bring that empty place, those empty places to worship during these coming Sundays.
Another example of how the word “empty” affects us negatively is when we recall times in our lives when we have been told that we should empty our hearts and minds of the dreams and hopes we have had. To empty our hearts and minds of the truth about who we love and why. To empty ourselves of our dignity, strength, and courage.
Bring those memories and those heartbreaks to worship during these coming Sundays.
For some, the word “empty” is an invitation. There are cluttered places in our hearts and minds and lives that we want God to empty out. There are overstuffed drawers and closets that need to be cleared. We need God to empty our storage units of fear, worry, and anxiety. We need to let go of our old tapes, cassette tapes, 8 track tapes – I know I am aging myself here, but I’m doing it on purpose. I want you to think about those OLD tapes, and I want you to imagine that God can and will clear them out of your heart and your mind. I hope you will ask God to give you new playlists of praise and songs of hope.
Bring those full places to worship during these coming Sundays.
In worship, during the weeks of Lent, there will be times of silence – during the centering time at the beginning of the service, during the prayer of confession, and again during the prayers of the people. Time for you to bare your heart and soul before God in deep ways. Time for you to peek behind doors that have been closed within you for decades. Time for you to lay your heartbreak and your questions, your hopes and your dreams before Almighty God. Time for you to welcome the Spirit of God to do some deep cleaning, some rearranging, some reevaluating in your life. Time for you to allow God to empty you of all that distracts or derails you from being and doing all that God has called and created you to do and be.
One way to demonstrate that movement toward emptying, toward being emptied, is this – as you feel your heart fill up with fear, look down at your cupped hands, look at the fear, look at the situation, look at your need and, trusting that God is holding you as you hold that concern, simply open your hands and let it go. Empty your hands into God’s hands.
Another possibility is to empty your pockets. Simply pull your pockets inside out – and let those lint balls of doubt, the currency you use for bargaining with God, the knives that you use for backstabbing others, and the knives that you have pulled out of your own back – let it all fall into God’s hands.
Or you can empty a junk drawer, your refrigerator, a cupboard, or a pantry. And as you do so, ask God to show you parallels in your life, places that need to be emptied.
Allow yourself to be open to see, to hear, and to follow the leading of the Spirit of God in the direction of being filled by God and being emptied of all that keeps you from full connection with the One who loves you most of all.
When you finish reading this, I encourage you to spend a few moments in silence with God.
Sit. Breathe. Pray. Empty.
Grace and peace, Gail