This blog provides a meditation on the Episcopal daily readings along with a headline from world news:

LIBYAN STRUGGLE PUTS UP PUMP PRICES IN UK 

Hebrews 12:1-14

12Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

or lose heart when you are punished by him;

6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,

and chastises every child whom he accepts.’

7Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 8If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. 9Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. 11Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

amid the unjust discipline of work, the glad discipline of prayer

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” 13But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” 14I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

Standing in the discipline and mercy of God is the lectionary message for the start of Lent.

Those who endure painful circumstances in good faith, believing that they are being given a share in the cross of Jesus, send a message to those of us who are so comfortable that we need to invent disciplines for the season. Indeed we should always start by asking how many of the burdens of others are placed there by our refusal to shift our own weight in the world; to pay a reasonable price for our food for example; or by our strategies for securing what we want, such as the UK’s oil deals with governments that tyrannised their own people. There is enough for all in God’s world but only if we learn that we can’t have everything or protect ourselves from all pain. We may even-especially if we act in a Christ-like manner, have to put up with unpopularity, prejudice, or murderous rage such as the late Shahbaz Bhatti suffered in Pakistan. We are to accept all such suffering as the discipline of a loving parent. This goes against the grain; it’s not really in tune with modern notions of parenthood; and it may look like a kind of fatalism. That’s not at all the mood of the writer to Hebrews. He/ she is saying, “Stop whining and whingeing about difficulty and pain. They’re just your share in the growing pains of humanity. Through them God toughens you up to face greater tests. Get off your knees, walk the straight road, and you’ll rediscover your health.” Now that’s a bracing instruction for Ash Wednesday!

open our dirty hearts

Standing in the mercy of God is Jesus prescription against our worst sin: pride. We can take action against all sorts of minor sins during Lent while just increasing our pride in our own goodness. We become more able to thank God that we’re not like that obese person who hasn’t been able to give up chocolate, or that one with the problem liver who didn’t cut back on alcohol; or that miser who didn’t shell out for Libyan children. (Yes, all these are good disciplines just as the Pharisee’s were.) It’s that pride which will allow us to persecute anyone who challenges it as the Pharisees did to Jesus. It’s that pride which closes us to the needs and problems of others. It’s that pride which takes us to hell. Jesus says that the only healthy place to stand is in the knowledge of sin and the mercy of God. But the Pharisee’s disciplines are truly impressive! Yes, and he thinks so too. But the tax-collectors sin is very real! Yes, and he knows it too. But just recognising his sin is not salvation! No, but where else can we ever start? Of course we have to stand in the mercy and walk in the mercy, but we’ll never do that unless we cut the pretence and open our dirty hearts to God.

Both passages for today offer us fundamental disciplines that is, forms of discipleship for Lent, and any season.