First Sunday of Lent

Release: Setting Your Intention

“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls."

— Howard Thurman

During this Black History Month, we draw from the deep well of Black theological wisdom. Howard Thurman—mystic, theologian, and spiritual mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—offers us this invitation to listen for what is most true within us.

My first experience of walking a labyrinth showed me exactly what Thurman meant. I was at Lake Junaluska, a United Methodist camp and retreat center in North Carolina, leading a youth retreat. During my free time, I wandered over to the labyrinth. I will never forget the sense of safety I felt, of being held by the Holy One. The deeper I went into the labyrinth, on the single path to the heart of God, it was as if the one-dimensional path I was walking grew taller around me, creating a haven and sacred space for my journey. I don't remember any great wisdom or how long I rested at the center, but I remember that feeling of protection. And when I arrived back at the place I had entered, it took me a moment to gain the courage to step out of the labyrinth and back into the world. Because I really felt like I had stepped into a liminal space there on the path. It felt literally like stepping out of a holy space and back into the world. And it took me a minute. That last step remains a holy pause for me each time I walk a labyrinth.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We are just beginning this journey of Lent, our pilgrimage together into the labyrinth. As we enter the season of Lent, we can set our intent for this journey, reflecting on what we hope to release, what we hope to receive, and how we might return differently. Lent is a time to do exactly as Howard Thurman suggests: to listen "for the sound of the genuine in yourself." The labyrinth is a practice that creates a protected space for that "something in every one of [us]" to wait and listen.

This week, I invite you to pause and set your intention for this journey. Can you release your cares and responsibilities, your guilt and your burdens, just long enough to enter the labyrinth and listen deeply for the sound of the genuine in yourself?

Practice: Setting Your Intention

Imagine yourself at the beginning of a journey.

• First, imagine all the people gathered around, with a final question, emotions, and opinions about your leaving. Who is there? Are you able to hear your voice amidst the crowd?

• Second, imagine all the stuff you would normally take with you on a journey. What are you holding? What is piled at your feet? What is really needed for a journey to the heart of God?

• Third, check in with how you feel. There's no right answer here; whatever arises is welcome. As you follow the call of that something deep inside you, what are you sad to leave behind? What are you grateful to leave behind?

Now step to the entrance of the labyrinth, turning away from the crowd, setting down your belongings. Take a deep breath into your belly. Exhale long and slow. What is your intention for the journey of Lent and to the heart of God? Let a word or phrase rise. Trust it. Claim it. Listen to the genuine in yourself.

Next Sunday, we'll take our first steps together on this path.