Overcoming spiritual ADHD

I partially attended a Lenten retreat yesterday.  I knew I could not stay the whole day, but planned to stay till the lunch break. Turns out, I was underdressed for the occasion. I was dressed to go from the retreat to the ball field and it was on 38 degrees outside, so I looked more like someone going skiing rather than attending church.  I saw no one else in jeans.  Most had jackets on.  I calmed my inner critic by reminding myself that my sweater was purple and I don’t think anyone could tell that I was wearing my son’s t shirt and they were my really good jeans.  I also noticed everyone was carrying a bible.  Again, I don’t know what I was thinking by not bringing a bible to a Lenten retreat. But, I was secretly relieved to know I have a bible app on my cell phone. 

So, when the retreat speaker announced that it was National Unplug Day, I quickly shoved my phone under the table cloth.  But, then I sort of got all panicky, because I was going to miss the first inning by attending the first half of the retreat and Vance had promised to text me updates.  Quickly I moved my phone to lap and threw my napkin on top of it. 

Again, I don’t know what I was thinking she was going to speak on, but I can assure you that distractions and spiritual ADHD was not on my top ten list.  The theme of the retreat was “Building a Temple in your Heart and Soul.”  Somehow, Lenten discipline did not come to mind when I read the theme. I was thinking more along the lines of beautifying your life.

Turns out the speaker and I have much in common.  I love all things Anglican and she is Anglican.  Actually she is a priest.  She cheats during Lent too.  She and I both thought the origin of the word Lent (in reference to the Church), had something to do with lentils.  Typically, Lent is a season of prayer and fasting and many Christians give up meat during the Lenten season.  She only recently, (and I just as of yesterday), was astonished to learn that is not, in fact, the origin.  I felt a little relieved to know that she also thought it was a reference to beans, given the fact she was on faculty at Duke Divinity School, ordained and held a PhD in Church History.  I didn’t feel so moronic. 

The word Lent is apparently derived from the Old English lencten, which means "lengthen."  It refers to the lengthening of the daylight hours that occurs in the northern hemisphere as spring approaches.  It is in this period of transition from late winter to early spring that the season of Lent falls.

So, in the middle of Lent, the lectionary reading for today is tale from the wilderness: Moses and the burning bush.  Secretly, I have longed to have a burning bush moment. I think we all have.  I want God to grab my attention in some profound, miraculous way and tell me exactly what it is he wants me to do.  I don’t necessarily long to be a prophet or take on any world powers or make water out of rocks, I just want to know that God speaks to me and at least has a general idea of what exactly it is I am supposed to be doing with my life and would like to clue me in once and while.

Turns out it takes seven minutes for a bush to burn.  Some Jewish rabbis have a different take on what the real miracle of the burning bush was.  Moses had to stop and look at the bush for several minutes to figure it out it was not consumed.  The miracle was not that God spoke from a bush or that the bush didn’t burn up or that God even spoke to Moses at all.   The miracle was that Moses stopped and looked at the bush long enough to hear God. 

And maybe that is the point of Lent.  The giving up of distractions and stopping long enough to see the miracle.  I suspect bushes are bursting into flames all around us; we just don’t pause long enough to see that they are not consumed.  Life is not an emergency.  Life is meant to be lived slow enough to see bushes bursting into flames.

Grateful for my burning bushes and the grace to slow down to notice:

The hymn that opened the daily office today:  The Gift of Love.    What we sang in church today:  When I Survey the Wonderous  Cross to the tune of The Gift of Love.

The opening hymn for the Lenten retreat:  Morning Has Broken.  The song on the radio as I drove to Davis’ ballgame: Morning Has Broken by Simon and Garfunkel.

Lenten roses in bloom outside churches.

Churches that still do bells and smells.

A cat at the bottom of one of the drawings of the Stations of the Cross.

Daffodils beginning to bloom.

Sharing dinner with friends, smoked chicken ravioli in pink sauce and a very  good Pinot Grigio.

Drinking hot chocolate at baseball games.

Vintage shopping with a friend and finding that one thing you have been looking for.

The friendliness of a small town Southern church and glad there are still small town Southern churches.

Labyrinths.

Pussy willow.

Bluebirds sitting on the porch.

Liturgy.


May you notice all of your burning bushes this Lent.

All is grace,
Kathleen