A Meditation for Wednesday after the Fifth Sunday in Lent | Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 687

By Joe Lindsay

The Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin at Nashotah House holds a special place in my heart. If you have had the opportunity to worship in this sacred place for any extended period of time, then you understand the profound impact its rhythm can have on one’s heart. It might just be unforgettable. During the ’24 Winter term, I was grateful for the opportunity to return to the House for worship and study, alongside fellow distance and residential students. 

Three years’ time had passed since I had last entered St. Mary’s Chapel. This time, as I entered the Chapter Room, I was struck by a smell that, until that moment, I had forgotten: the lingering, sweet, permeable smell of Queen of Heaven incense. It was during the Solemn Mass on Thursday night that I was reminded of the abundance of smoke that fills that space during any given week. 

Occasionally, if one should be so fortunate, you bear witness to a delicate equilibrium of sacred liturgy and thermodynamics – as the radiators fill the room with heat, the smoke from the thurible is unable to rise, causing it to gather and linger at eye level. Eventually, the altar party and our fellows across the quire became more difficult to see. I found myself moved to tears, but I’m not sure if it was the liturgy or the result of Mr. Hootman’s billowing thurible – perhaps I’ll never know. As I recalled my time as a residential student, I recognized that while I was no longer used to the compound rhythm of life at Nashotah, it didn’t take much to be comfortable in that rhythm once again. It seems all I needed to do was show up. Simple, right? 

The seemingly straightforward task of showing up can be challenging for this follower of Christ. All too often, as I navigate each day, I find myself expending excessive energy on matters that lead me away from God and from my relationship with Him. I am quick to forget. I need a reminder to simply show up, accept the invitation, and God will reveal how He intends to use my life for His glory. Our relationship is an embodiment of His will for me. 

Lent can be a profound spiritual journey. It presents opportunities for self-reflection, repentance, and renewal. While these are important matters, I submit that they have a prerequisite: active participation in and with the One who makes their reality possible. For me, this requires taking the time to make myself available to Jesus, actively inviting Him into the unfolding narrative that is my life. Showing up, for me, starts with acknowledging Him and expressing gratitude, echoing Paul's reminder, "Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere" (2 Cor. 2:14). 

The procession that we read about in today's appointed texts is not just something that happened in the past. It is a procession that is taking place right now. We get to be a part of that procession if we simply show up to be a part of it. As we process together, we will be transformed together. Amidst the chaos, challenges, and distractions, we can pray that we become more willing to make ourselves available for Him who desires to be with us.

This Lent it is my prayer that we might recall the fragrance of Him who desires us for His glory. 

Gracious God, help me to show up so that I can do your will. Help me to be free from those things which keep me from knowing you and your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to become willing to love you more. Help me to embrace your will for my life. 

Amen. 

Joe Lindsay is the Director of Music at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in McKinney, Texas, in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. He will complete coursework for the Master of Pastoral Ministry program in the Fall of 2024. He has a background in pipe organ maintenance, as well as choir training and conducting. Joe is married to Amanda Payne-Lindsay (MDiv. ‘20), a Pediatric Chaplain at Cook Children’s Hospital. They are currently the proud parents to two dogs, Mille and Marty. They look forward to becoming parents to their first child, Lyle, in May 2024. Joe is the founder of Stepping Stones of North Texas, a residential recovery community offering support to men in early recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. The readings for the preceding devotional may be located here from Forward Movement.