seed - harvesting and sowing

The season of harvesting and the season of sowing are separate interrupted by a hibernation that is as deathYet this apparent grave becomes unmaskedthe snow melts and the ground thaws Fields present themselves for plowingso that the soil may breathe and receive the seeds from harvest pastThe seeds that must die will be sown
dying to birth that which has been lying dormantoffering themselves to bring forth fruitFor this purpose, they are thrown down 

This writing is still in flux but has arisen from this verse in Luke that has been sticking with me during this Lenten season and from singing in church this morning the The Desert Song by Hillsong, the last verse in particular always seems to get me

John 12:24  - Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

The Desert Song by Hillsong

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

between the wearing of the ashes and the bestowing of the crown

This passage from 2 Corinthians 5 reminds me of the tension of the already, but not yet.  The tension of the now - between the wearing of the ashes and the bestowing of the crown of beauty... 

v1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  v2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,  v3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. v4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  v5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Whether the earthly tent here refers to the house in which I reside or the flesh in which I abide, it is not really a matter of "if" they will be destroyed, but "when" they will crumble and decay...  and when that comes to pass, may it be that I will trust the hands of the Heavenly Father to provide shelter for my head and my soul.
And while still in this world and this flesh - both of which have fallen in sin - I groan.  I groan because of the pain experienced and inflicted - because this is not how it was meant to be... and because of the work of Christ, this is not how it will be.  I long for that day when all will be set right and all is made new...
No sin and no shame.  I will not be found lacking, falling short.  I will be clothed, filled, swallowed up by life.
This hope is guaranteed by the Spirit - living in me, interceding for me, leading me toward what is to come - beauty for ashes...

Ashes

Remembering that in Jesus this scripture passage from Isaiah 61 was, is, and will be fulfilled

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

On this first day of Lent, we are marked with ashes as a reminder of our sinfulness and mortality.  We set our eyes forward, remembering the journey to the cross that Jesus took for us.  This journey that ended not with the grave, but with resurrection.  Our ashes, our flesh, our sin - it will not remain - it will be wiped away and upon our heads he will bestow crowns of beauty.

beauty replacing ashes, joy replacing mourning, praise replacing despair

This morning, I was thinking of the line from the children's song
"Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down"
May we fall down in worship, humbled by our sin, desiring the transformation and restoration that the Lord wants to bring, prepared to be planted by Him, so that we may display His splendor...


This song "Restoration" comes to mind as I write this...

 

Lent

although the ground is covered with snow, there is a songbird outside my window beckoning spring...

it is this pronouncement of the awakening to come, in the midst of the season of hibernation, that stirs my heart

i've been longing for springtime

i want this upcoming season of lent to be a time of tuning my heart to hear and training my feet to dance according to the song of the One who sings over me

i want to remove that which distracts me from Him and eliminate the noise that fills my ears and mind (but does not satisfy my heart and soul)

i want to fast - not to punish myself, but to position myself toward Him

i want my heart and my ears and my voice and my posture to be turned toward the Light

as the days lengthen and the snow outside will melt, i want my time with Him to deepen and my heart to soften

for the springtime and the resurrection have come and are coming

may i remember, prepare, and rejoice