“We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion, we’re marching upward to Zion the beautiful city of God.”This is a well-known refrain to a hymn, not surprisingly called Marching to Zion. The words were written by Isaac Watts, but the refrain was added by Robert Lowry, as was the music. Zion was originally a hill in Jerusalem, and then the whole city became known as Zion, since that was where the people of God dwelled. Eventually, Zion took on a more spiritual definition to refer simply to the city or the kingdom of God. When we look at the activity of Jesus within scripture, we see him often walking. He is walking through villages, towns, and people’s lives. Much like marching, he is moving with purpose. On a couple of occasions, he mentions to the people “the kingdom of God is near.” For instance, in Mark 1:15, as he is going through Galilee proclaiming the good news, he says, “The time has come… The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” It is believed that Jesus was referring to himself as the kingdom of God. Jesus, or the body of Christ, is a holy place in which we can dwell, a city that cannot be destroyed, that evil cannot inhabit, and that has no end.
This time of year offers to many the opportunity to get out your map and check to be sure you are on the right path: the path that leads to Zion. As we are now in the season of Lent, it is encouraged that we take on some spiritual disciplines that maybe have fallen to the wayside with time and new circumstances or possibly ones that you have never done before. Much like marching anywhere and much like Jesus’ ministry on earth, there are times that checking in through prayer, rest, devotion, worship, fellowship, food, and more are necessary for a successful journey. This is the time to check in with yourself, your habits, your head, and your heart to be sure you aren’t wandering away from where you are meant to be. The great thing about Jesus as the Holiest of places is that he has blessed us with an internal light named the Holy Spirit that helps lead the way to the city of Zion.
What are you doing this Lenten season to commune with that guiding light within you? I want to offer some suggestions:
Prayer: Spend the first and the last 15 minutes of your day talking to God like you would talk with a friend. Set a timer on your phone to remind you about this new habit you are forming until it becomes just that, a habit.
Rest: This is not sleep; this is something that calms the soul and rejuvenates the Spirit. Therefore, this is highly personal. It could be as simple as laying on the ground, repeating a scripture verse over and over while you focus in on all parts of your body, starting on the top of your head and down through your toes. Tighten and then release, letting go of the stress you are carrying, while meditating on that one verse. Psalm 46:10 is a great one!
Devotion: Do you like to write? Spend some time writing a letter to God. Talk about your day, your week, your month, your year. Tell God your goals, your plans, your hopes, your dreams, or your disappointments, and then devote them all to God.
Worship: Make it a priority to come to church on Sundays, and allow yourself to soak in the songs, the liturgy, the collective Spirit, and turn it into praise. Then during your week, do the same. Take in song, words, Spirit, and turn it back into praise.
Fellowship: Join us every Sunday night for our ecumenical worship services over Lent. Be intentional about joining with others, not for what you can get from it, but for what you can give.
Food: Give up a meal, breakfast or perhaps lunch, over Lent, or fast a whole day each week. Choose what your health situation can handle. The idea is not to just give up food but to then use that time doing something that equates to spending time with God.
There are many different options of spiritual disciplines you can engage in this Lenten season. You are not limited to the above suggestions. Whatever you choose to do, remember there is a reason they are called disciplines. In Hebrews 12:11, Paul says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” It will take intentional effort on your part. Marching upward to Zion is not always an easy task, but it is worth it. By the end of Lent, and hopefully before, you will undoubtedly find you have arrived at a place of peace, hope, joy, and love, because those are the things that make up the city of God, the person of Jesus, and the light that lives within us and guides us. Let’s check in with that light and be sure we are on the right path.
From one light to another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman