Mar 05 | Entering the Wilderness: Lent Journal #1

Today was my first morning prayer with the BCP. Since it’s Lent I also added the opening penitential section.

It takes a bit longer than BAS Morning Prayer, of course, and I’m still learning to navigate the book. I’d become quite adept with the BAS and now I’m back to square one, flipping through and discovering all the new prayers.

The format is fairly recognizable, although I’m aware of its more explicitly corporate nature.  I’m also aware of the penitential language and themes present throughout. The Venite, for example, is included in full, unlike in the BAS, where only the first seven verses are included. This inclusion highlights the change in tone between the sections from one of praise and thanksgiving to a warning against “hardening one’s heart.”

I don’t mind this particular change, not only because it’s Lent, but because this both preserves the integrity of the psalm and the entire thematic dance of the Hebrew Bible. While some argue (rather Gnostically), that the God of the Hebrew Bible is a tyrant, if it is read closely and critically, one most often finds that God dispenses punishment justly (in the theology of the author) and follows it with redemption and restored covenant.[1] The pattern goes, “because love, covenant.” Verse 9 emphasizes this:

They put me to the test,

though they had seen my works.

The acts of love are portrayed not as a prize to be doled out for obedience, but a way to be joined in a kind of mystical matrimony with God. If a person marries someone with both understanding that it will be a monogamous relationship and then goes behind the spouse’s back to sleep with someone else, the betrayal is clear and unambiguous. The anger of the betrayed is understandable, especially when the betrayer acts as though nothing out of the ordinary has occurred, or worse yet blames the betrayed for the act.

If we saw this situation occur on a reality show (note to self: write and pitch treatment for Survivor: Book of Exodus), we would likely side with the betrayed, and fully expect the offending party to be dumped. We may even clamor for some dramatic showdown.

The authors do sometimes give us this (think Korah, swallowed into the earth). However, it is just as likely that God will “give them up.” This Hebrew phrase is commonly used in cases of idolatry (even Paul users it in the infamous Romans 1:18 clobber text), and shows us a different God: a wounded, non-violent God who will nevertheless leave us to make our own choices.

You can only begin to imagine the joy of this God upon our return.