A Lenten Devotion by Rev. Debbie Clark
Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice, for God has done great things! Do not fear, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
Joel 2:21-22
Every time I teach a yoga class, we begin with gentle warm-ups: neck, shoulders and spine. One of my favorite spinal warm-ups from a seated position is called “Tree Hugger.” I invite the yogis to imagine a beautiful giant tree in front of them, a tree they love so much they want to hug it and rest their heads on it. As we exhale, we round our backs and hug the imaginary trees.
Then, on the inhale, I invite them to arch their backs, lifting their arms and looking up, rejoicing in the beauty of the tree against the sky. In summer, I invite them to imagine the glorious canopy of the tree. In fall, we envision the reds and yellows of the changing leaves; in spring, the buds coming out.
It took me awhile to figure out what we might envision in the middle of the winter—stark, dead-looking branches against the gray sky? Eventually I came to see that picture differently. Now, when we do Tree Hugger in winter, I invite the yogis to imagine that are looking up and marveling at the fascinating shapes of branches we can’t see the rest of the year. In the winter, we see the inner structure of the trees, and we rejoice in their usually hidden beauty.
Lent is a bit like practicing Tree Hugger in winter. Lent is a time to pay attention to the things we often don’t see. It is a time to look deeper than the canopy of leaves to see the roots and branches—to notice an unusual shape as a trunk works its way around an obstacle, a scar from a wound on a branch, roots that are so powerful they cause cracks in the sidewalk. It is a time to look within ourselves and our community.
At first, that look within may feel stark, or even harsh, like a tree in the winter. We become acutely aware of our imperfections. The invitation in this Lenten season is to keep looking until we recognize the beauty within—until we marvel at the creativity and resilience of our inner lives, and of the inner workings of our community.
I look forward to our Lenten reflections on “A Grove of Trees,” as we discover and marvel together at our deep roots, our powerful trunks, the interweaving of our branches, and the glory of our leaves.
Inspire us, O God, to slow down, to notice, to look deep within in this season of Lent. Bless us with the perseverance to keep looking until we marvel at our beauty. Amen.