My Lenten Journey 6

Mark 11:1-11 (The Message) 1-3When they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany on Mount Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: "Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you'll find a colt tethered, one that has never yet been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks, 'What are you doing?' say, 'The Master needs him, and will return him right away.'" 4-7They went and found a colt tied to a door at the street corner and untied it. Some of those standing there said, "What are you doing untying that colt?" The disciples replied exactly as Jesus had instructed them, and the people let them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus, spread their coats on it, and he mounted. 8-10The people gave him a wonderful welcome, some throwing their coats on the street, others spreading out rushes they had cut in the fields. Running ahead and following after, they were calling out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God's name! Blessed the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in highest heaven! 11He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in. But by now it was late, so he went back to Bethany with the Twelve.

Genesis 1:27 (The Message) God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature."

I've heard each of these scriptures before, but never in context with one another. This week's sermon topic according to the "Journey to Hope" Lenten series uses the three scriptures together to illustrate a point that I had not really dwelt upon before. That point is my individual self-esteem.

I am an outwardly confident person who is plagued with quite a bit of internal self-doubt. I have continuous discussions with myself about whether my abilities and talents are good enough to "get the job done", or about if I even have any abilities and talents in the first place. Most of the time, these internal conversations provide personal motivation for me to be successful. Sometimes, though, the things I think about myself really get me down. During those times, I need a healthy dose of self-esteem. More to the point, I need to have esteem in self through God.

Jesus had this esteem in self that comes from knowing a person is doing God's will. The passage from Mark illustrates this exact point. Jesus did not care about the adulations of the crowd. He knew that in a few days, they'd be turned against him, anyway. Jesus came to Jerusalem on a mission to do God's will, and that's it. Adulations and condemnations were secondary to his overall goal. I've often given/been given advice that essentially says: "Don't worry about the bad stuff people say about you. Keep doing what you know is right." I've never looked at in the context of "Don't worry about the good stuff people say about you ." If I approached life in this way, not getting bent out of shape about bad comments and not getting overly high about good comments, then all that would be left was my own actions and my reasons for doing them. If I could guarantee that all of my actions were done for the benefit of God alone, then at that point my concept of self-esteem would disappear, to be replaced by the esteem in myself I would have because I was doing God's will. On the surface it sounds like a subtle tweak of a phrase -- self-esteem replaced by esteem in self by doing God's will. In reality, it requires a complete altering of a person's lifestyle.

Dear God, please help me subvert my wants and desires in favor of all that you would have me do to fulfill your will here on Earth. AMEN.

My Lenten Journey 5

“The conscience of children is formed by the influences that surround them; their notions of good and evil are the result of the moral atmosphere they breathe.” - Jean Paul Richteran



True statement. Obviously, children who grow up amongst those who have the true spirit of God dwelling inside them have a better chance at growing up "right", whatever the connotation of that word might be. I've mentioned that Lent is a time to come closer to God and try to figure out what he wants for me in my life. I've also mentioned that, in some ways, I ALREADY know what he wants for me. One of the things I'm sure he calls me to do is be a role model for kids. In reality, he calls ALL of us to do that. As a middle school and high school principal, it's very important to me to be a Christ-like example for the kids I serve. I'm also called to be a role model and Christ-like example for my own children. Every action I take and every word I speak should be done and said with this in mind. That's not the way it always is, of course, and so part of what I need to focus on during this Lenten time is praying and preparing myself to be better at being "Mr. Dimmitt" and being "Dad." I need to be the true example of Jesus Christ for every kid I meet -- my own and everyone else's as well.




Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to be a father here on Earth. Thank you for the opportunity to lead a building with kids who yearn to find you, even if they don't know it. Help me be an example of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in this world, so that these kids may learn who you are through me. AMEN.

My Lenten Journey 4

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect."
- Romans 12:2 (NRSV)

This verse that Paul writes in his letter to the Romans is the essence of Lent. Make a sacrifice of the things of this world that are not necessary and use the space that is created in their absence to find the will of God in your life.

I have sacrificed lunch (even though I fell off the wagon yesterday, my birthday). I am using the time gained by not eating to write this blog. So, now, it's time to get discerning, I guess. Here's the point that keeps raring up in my mind right now. I think I know already what God wants me to do, in that the scriptures are a blueprint for that -- remember that the Bible is a handbook of interaction between spiritual and worldly affairs. Maybe the better question to ask at this point is "how can I do those things that God wants me to do better than ever before?"