Richard Rohr writes, “‘Second half of life” wisdom requires prayer and discernment more than knee jerk responses toward either conservative or liberal ends of the spectrum….Law is still necessary, of course, but it is not your guiding star, or even close, it has been wrong and cruel too many times…..The Eight Beatitudes speak to you much more than the Ten Commandments as you grow older.’”
I still love the Ten Commandments. I view them as statements of love and cherish what they teach me about loving. I like to pray the commandments as a basis of confession and renewal. However, I grow in my ability to appreciate the Eight Beatitudes as a way to pray for the development of the Christian life. Luther asks us to pray the Ten Commandments but I also have learned to cherish the times of praying the Beatitudes. Praying the Beatitudes allows me to pray for growth in Christian witness and service surrounded by freedom.
Second half of life wisdom allows me to see where God is calling. I am not bound by constrictions of legalistic institutions but rather sat free to live in the freedom of the Gospel. Rather than rules and regulations I am allowed to see invitations to serve and can live out the expression of God’s love.
During Lent it is my hope to live in the Beatitudes as well as the Ten Commandments. Where is God calling me? How then am I to live? In what ways does God call me to discipleship.
There is a profound sense of freedom awaiting the praying of the Beatitudes. I am in a period of discernment and formation and so the invitation to pray the Beatitudes is exciting.
Read more about this in my previous post about transition, located here.
