A few days ago I learned a new word. I have encountered it several times in blogs, theology classes and commentary readings. I guess God is trying to expand my vocabulary.
You ready for it…?
Kenosis.
It’s foreign. It’s Greek. It makes me feel smarter. But what’s even better about this word besides its Greekness, is what it stands for.
Kenosis is described as “emptying oneself”. Literally “depletion of the self”.
We see it in Philippians where Jesus “emptied himself and made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant”. (2:7) But he didn’t stop there. No, Jesus allowed himself to be filled with the Holy Spirit and then, only then was he able to fulfill God’s purpose.
I find this act of kenosis an appropriate way to begin basically anything you hope God will direct. And ironically enough it’s a word that corresponds perfectly with the season of Lent that we are entering into.
Lent is a period of time where the Christian community prepares for the death and resurrection of Christ otherwise known as Easter. Usually this time is marked by a denial of luxuries or desires. People give up sweets, technology, excessive purchases, etc. for the forty days leading up to Easter. The movie Chocolat is a prime example of this type of denial…maybe a bit extreme, but regardless if you’ve never seen it, it’s worth a movie night. Just be totally prepared to crave chocolate at some point during the film…you’ve been warned.
What I didn’t know, was that Lent is also meant to represent the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert before entering into his public ministry. (Thanks Wikipedia). Jesus was well aware that his ability to do God’s will was dependent on the Holy Spirit’s residence in his life. He fasted and emptied himself to make room for the Spirit’s presence.
Don’t you just love it when God brings so many (seemingly) random events together to teach you something? I know I do.
Our team is also entering into a time of preparation. We have a little over a week until we make the journey over the ocean and begin our time in Lurgan. Time will be precious and in order to make the most of this experience, we need to give God our best. To do so means a continual emptying of the self, and an indwelling of the Spirit.
Join with our team as we practice kenosis, so that the Spirit of God will transform us into the likeness of Jesus, that we might see and participate in what God is doing in Lurgan, Northern Ireland.