Colonic Irrigation for Our Souls

Monday 15 March to Sunday 21 March

The whole idea of colonic irrigation fills me with horror….. but those who have been braver than I say that it is a great feeling to know that literally all the….., how shall we say it…. manure    in the colon has been cleaned out; and the gut at that end is clean, unblocked and ready to operate with increased efficiency.  By necessity, to really appreciate Easter, we need to look at the depths of our own hearts and rake up the muck and manure in order to bring it into the light of God.  So this is where we continue our cathartic journey to the cross at Golgotha.

In “Letters to Malcolm” C S Lewis says….. "The true Christian's nostril is to be continually attentive to the inner cesspool"   This week we are going to be diving headlong into the inner cesspool…..not a great place to stay, but a great place to pass through.

The Bible calls all the manure in our lives by, what is now considered, a rather quaint term: sin.  However, sin is anything but quaint.  When it is left unresolved it holds us back from reaching our true potential in God, blocks us off from God and even gives the devil a legal right to mess with our lives. 

There are basically two ways in which we uncover sin in our lives.  The best way is when God lovingly points out our sin so that we can change for the better.  He knows our true potential and he wants to see us stretch for that and become the people that he always intended us to be….. He loves us too much to leave us as we are.

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" – Jeremiah 29:11

Satan also likes to point out sin, only his plan is to make us feel like a loser who is doing so badly we might as well give up and drop the hypocrisy….  He would love nothing more than to depress us and keep us in a constant cycle of fear, guilt and failure.

When sin is exposed in our lives we have two choices: we can kill the truth and live a lie or, agree with the truth and, with God’s help, step into a new way of being.  The Pharisees thought that they were the cat’s whiskers when it came to being spiritual.  Jesus did away with their petty rules and regulations demonstrating a morally better way to live.  They chose to kill the truth in Jesus and carry on with the fabricated lie.

It might not be the easiest journey over the next few days in the cesspool, but with Jesus guiding us and the Spirit providing strength and insight I hope to emerge as a cleaner vessel, unblocked and ready to serve; with a fresh appreciation of what Jesus actually did for me on the cross.

Exercise

In your time sitting being with God and listening to Him ask Him to let you become aware of the inner cesspool as C S Lewis called it.  Think honestly and humbly about the life that you lead – your thought life, your actions and your words.  You could start by considering the events of the day before; run through them in your mind with God.

As things start to come up agree with God that it is a problem.  Allow yourself to feel the depth of sorrow that those actions, words or thoughts have caused.  Then ask God to remove them from your life forever.  Don’t keep dwelling on the same thing, accept God’s free forgiveness.  If you have offended someone else by your actions you might want to ask for their forgiveness too.  It could be that you need to make amends for what was done and put things right – ask God what to do.

You might find it helpful to repeat the old Anglican liturgical confession each day:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against You and against our fellow men, in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness and through our own deliberate fault.  We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.  For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life; to the glory of Your name.  Amen.

Each time you admit to your sin, hear the priest’s response:

Almighty God who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

It is God who will change us.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to change and leave behind those things that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1).  The more of God there is, the less of us there is "He must increase, I must decrease" – John the Baptist.

Bible Verses to Ponder

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,. – Romans 3:23

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'  "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'  "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." – Luke 18: 9-14

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. – 1 John 1:9-10

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.  – Mark 11:25

Prayer for the Fourth Week in Lent from the Church of England

Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us faith to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Verse to Remember

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Psalm 51:17

Things to do

Continue to be intentional about setting aside time to be with God – you have probably figured which time works best for you but if not try changing to a different time of the day.  Carry on fasting once or twice this week.  In building on our initial fast consider cutting out deserts or don’t have rubbish snacks between meals such as crisps, doughnuts, biscuits, etc.  If you are feeling bold cut them out and leave them out of your diet until after Easter.

Why not stop drinking coffee when you are out and about; put the money you have saved aside and give it to a charity such as Compassion at the end of Lent.