Better Than A Hallelujah

During Lent we are asked to spend more time reflecting upon our lives and our relationships with God and others.  St. Andrew’s Thursday Lenten Taize Service gives us a meditative forum to jump start this activity each week.   This self-reflection often sends us to our knees, head down, in shame or sorrow over the ways we have failed to live up to our responsibilities and our promises. 

I think this is often the reason people do not cite Lent as one of their favorite seasons of the church year. 

We are often saddened by the results of our introspection.  Who wants to be sad?  Aren’t there enough sad things in the world?  Just listening to the news and hearing of the suffering and loss that the people of Japan are dealing with is sadness beyond measure and enough for everyone, don’t you think?

But the wonderful thing about Lent is that by going through the extra self-reflection we undertake at this time, we strengthen our relationship with God.  And THAT is worth the work and the pain.

If Lent puts us in more frequent and heartfelt communication with our Father in Heaven, don’t you think He finds that pleasing? 

Just like the kid who broke the window with his baseball, the damage is already done.  His parent is just waiting for him to own up to the deed, so the parent can forgive the child.  Action can then be taken for making things right and to prevent it from happening again.  Imagine if the child never owns up to his mistake.  The parent is disappointed and still loves his child, but an opportunity for communication and to show love has been lost.  An opportunity to receive forgiveness and to be loved is lost.

God already knows our failings and has forgiven them.  But when we come to him on our knees, head down, admitting where we have gone wrong and made mistakes, God wraps His love around us and tells us all is forgiven, reminding us of a better path to choose.  The price has already been paid.  The window is already fixed. Now go out and play and take care not to do it again.

Lent brings us closer to God.  Our prayers bring us closer to God.

A song by Amy Grant, “Better than a Hallelujah” keeps running around my head as I think about my Lenten reflections and prayers.  The refrain says…

“We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts…

Are better than a Hallelujah."

I’m sure God loves all our praise and joy on Easter.  But I bet he loves our conversations with Him over our broken and contrite hearts during Lent even better.

Better than a Hallelujah.

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Lenten Taize Worship, Thursday, 7:30 pm