One of the highlights of my trip was my stay in Martinsburg, WV, which served as a headquarters as I communed to and fro D.C. via a commuter train. I was amazed at how dedicated these folks were to make the low-tax state of West Virginia home while traveling up to four hours a day via train to Union Station in the morning and back to the opposing route later in the afternoon.
However, after spending a few days in D.C. and watching the inevitable clash between family life and the political warzone, the logic made sense, even if it meant four hours of forest scenery.
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Being a John Denver connoisseur afforded me a melody every time the train passed the Shenandoah River. Mountain Momma is right! Not only that, but trees everywhere mingled with city life in the lovely Harpers Ferry.
But it was in Martinsburg where I received an array of sweet hospitality from my dear friends Peter and Naomi. They were kind beyond measure, and the late nights and good drinks were a testament that the conversations were good and hearty. To see the good work at Trinity Reformed in Martinsburg, pastored by Lucas Dorminy, was easy. They were given to hospitality and kindness.
On my way back from D.C. to Martinsburg for my talk, my train paused as two trees collapsed in front of it. We heard from the master locomotive once, and then two hours went by without any word. We waited patiently and the time for my talk approached. In God’s providence, I arrived only a few minutes late.
Peter, the Elder, was a powerhouse of networking. On my last evening there, he drew around 60 guys to come to hear me talk about Solomonic Fatherhood. He opened his home, and I mean his entire home—downstairs and an overflow room upstairs. The topic appealed to the masses; the crowd was engaging from beginning to end, and the Q&A session was dynamic and filled with genuine interest. I was fascinated by the evening and am so grateful to share a lecture on a cherished subject. Here is a paragraph from my talk:
In Proverbs, Solomon is a wise king, but he is also a wise father. He is skilled in training, and his own experiences have taught him what it takes to raise sons in the peace of the Garden/Sanctuary to send them out into the world. The king knows what it takes to build a healthy society. He also knows that life is full of complexities, so he sets out to instruct his son in the subtleties of human life, the temptations of society, the hunger for money, and the enticement to rule with a heavy hand than with gentleness and truthfulness. He understands that without these lessons, his son will be ill-equipped to rule. He will stumble his way into the world rather than walk into it equipped.
I rejoice with the burst of energy that evening produced and the many fathers and future fathers who will take their calling seriously. The future of fatherhood is hopeful. I believe the next generation will fill a fatherhood vacuum, and by God’s grace, the father famine in our society will be satiated.
Lenten Cheers,
~Pastor Brito
Lenten Devotional, Day 2
In the pathless mazes of the desert, Yahweh makes way for his people. Through the readings, hymns, and themes, this season provides a more straightforward path to spiritual renewal. If we seek his face, God will lead us in the way we should go (Isa. 48:17).
The desert paths of Lent can be filled with frustrations, complaining, hunger, and thirst. If we delight in the cross and the defeat of death, we will find life. That knowledge can only guide us if we pursue it doggedly. If we are going to face these next thirty-nine days, we need to know the paths of the Lord (Ps. 17:5). We cannot presume on his grace. We cannot walk in pride as if we have special access to the city without our master architect and guide.
In Psalm 107, God moves his people from desert to city, from ruin to a new civilization. He is forming through his people a new citizenship as we journey from the desert to a new city that shines brighter than all other cities.
The desert is only an enemy if we fail to accept divine assistance from heaven. That desert is the cruciform life, the life of repentance and self-giving. It's a necessary track to the green pastures of forgiveness. As we walk wounded or wavering to that promised rest of Easter, we "improve our baptisms” in every act of faith. The journey to Calvary is long, but its rewards are everlasting.
Let us not mistake, however, the walk to Calvary as a call to isolation. Instead, the cross restores us into unity with one another. In fact, the Lenten journey must bind us together. Lent is not forming our own track but joining others in a community journey through liturgy and songs.
But sin isolates us.
Sin calls us to take our own ways in the desert than following the cloud by day and pillar by night. Sin prefers to wander than to confess. Sin desires darkness rather than light and blindness rather than sight. But the Gospel message this season is to walk together side by side, prayer by prayer, confession by confession, until we reach the great city where the resurrected Jesus awaits us.
Prayer: Great God, who rules the deserts and cities, sea and dry land, rule over my heart today. May I not wander from your ways, but may you give me light to shine my path to that great city where your blessing flows world without end, Amen!
Hymn of the Day: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
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