Pride

Pride

Last week I posted a link to the anglican chants I have been writing for lent on a Facebook group for Gen X and Millennial Clergy.  One of my colleagues, in a polite and humorous way, called me out for the sin of pride.  Essentially, that I was turning the acts of my lenten discipline into something to brag about.  I wasn't offended by his comments, quite the opposite because they gave me pause to check my motivations.  Was I indeed sharing these chants to say, "Look at what cool thing I can do?" Was my motivation for my lenten discipline to grow closer with God or to show off my abilities?

It was good to pause and reflect.  Asking myself those questions helped me clarify that I am indeed doing this composition project as an offering to God.  I have posted on the blog that people can use these in their liturgies, and I am spreading the word to folks who might have use of them so that they don't just exist on my hard drive or even just the blog.  If I kept these compositions to myself, then that would be selfish and maybe even prideful.  All of us have talents and it is part of the life of faith to polish and hone those talents not for ourselves but as an offering to God.  I want these Anglican Chants sung to complete the offering. They have only been crafted, now they need to be prayed.  

Lenten disciplines are tricky things because as we pass the halfway mark of lent, we can indeed become prideful.  We can say to ourselves look at me, I'm not eating meat, or I haven't had a drink in 21 days.  No bacon for me, what are you doing?  It's easy to slip into the roll of the pharisee who prayed in the temple, "thank you God for not making me like that lowly tax collect" meanwhile the tax collector is in the corner praying "God, have mercy on me a sinner."  Luke 18:11-15

As I wrote last week, lenten disciplines are about transformation, not merely spiritual olympics.  They are meant to bring us closer to God, not for mere self-gratification.  Pride is a temptation that draws us away from God.  So, how do we combat the temptation?  When we offer what we accomplish up to God for both the glorification of God and for God to use as God will, then our pride is rightfully placed.  When our accomplishments, creative endeavors, even our professional achievements are used to bring about life for others in any way, then they are righteous not prideful.  

The Persistent Widow and the Winter Ale

Today I am starting with the Jubelale by Deschutes Brewing. 

It's a very balanced winter ale.  Clove, Chocolate, and Hops are held in balanced harmony like a nice meaty chord from a symphony by Brahms.  Its full flavor and hearty texture it well suited to get through a hard winter.  This beer, a roaring fire, a thick novel with a romantic period symphony blaring from your stereo is the way to go.

Preaching wise the Gospel this week is the parable of the persitent widow from Luke's 18th chapter.  It is paired with Jeremiah's vision of the "the days [that] are surely coming".  I can't read that passage without hearing my favorite band Tangled Blue's rendition from their advent album.  Check that track out!  It's good stuff, and also a good compliment to the Jubelale Winter Ale.  

The challenge with this reading is to not make God seem like a concierge that is at the ready to answer half prayerful whims.  Rather the story is about being faithful to God even when there appears to be evidence against a loving God.  Paired with the Jeremiah reading which promises divine amnesia toward our sins, and we should be inspired to be faithful and respond with persistent trust and striving for justice for the oppressed. 

Next up is the is the Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.

This one hits you with a lot of pumpkin on the front end.  The spice is all on the backend, but the finish is clean so the allspice and clove are discernable.  Shipyard suggests pairing it with pumpkin pie.  I think that would be way too much pumpkin.  They also recommend a BLT which makes way more sense, it needs a salty food to compliment the sweet of the beer. 

Well, I didn't get to do the side by side comparison of Odell's Eugene and the Samuel Smith Chocolate stouts. BUT, I did float the idea with the bar tenders and hopefully that will happen this winter.