Breathe In, Breathe Out

I decided this Lent that God doesn't hate chocolate -- especially not chocolate that is fair trade and organically grown.  Or chocolate that comes pre-wrapped in reasonably sized portions complete with encouraging messages.  So I didn't even try to give up chocolate this year.  Instead, I decided to discipline myself just enough to limit my daily intake to one section of a fair trade bar purchased at church, or one piece of a beautifully wrapped bite of dark chocolate retrieved from my freezer.  As disciplines go, it's not mortification of the flesh, but hey, it's a start.

On Ash Wednesday I retrieved my treat from the freezer to find this message: take a deep breath & exhale.  I didn't even know Dove chocolate makers knew about breath prayers, but somebody seems to be on to me. 

You see, my REAL Lenten discipline this year is the one I already communicated to the congregation in a pastoral letter sent last Saturday.  I promised that each morning when I read the scripture or hymn text from our daily devotional guide I would choose a phrase to use as my breath prayer for that day.  A breath prayer is a simple exercise of taking a deep breath as you recite the first half of a short repetitive prayer and exhaling as you finish the thought.  A common example is, "Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy."  My breath prayer for Ash Wednesday was "Teach me the way .... that I should choose." The context of the prayer is Psalm 25, one of our devotional texts this week:

Wed - Psalm 25:11-14

¹¹ For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.

¹² Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose.

¹³ They will abide in prosperity, and their children shall possess the land.

¹⁴ The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them.

Today the practice continues with a new breath prayer: "Teach me your paths, lead me in truth."  It is drawn again from Psalm 25 as part of today's reading:

Thurs - Psalm 25:4-7

⁴Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

⁵Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

⁶Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

⁷Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

As I continue breathing in and breathing out, it is today's devotional question that remains with me: "Am I a friend of God who is teachable?"   It's time again: take a deep breath and exhale.