Mortification
The kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.
Mark 1:15
As her second month of reflection. Elizabeth Leseur offers mortification. Really? Repent, yes, but mortification? I can't get excited about it.
She quotes Mark 1:15 to show that mortification is a requirement, but I think that leaps over a few fences. The gospel is adamant that repentance is an absolute requirement. There is no question about that. That does not equate to mortification, at least not directly. Repentance, penance, and mortification are three different things. Some definitions might help.
She quotes Mark 1:15 to show that mortification is a requirement, but I think that leaps over a few fences. The gospel is adamant that repentance is an absolute requirement. There is no question about that. That does not equate to mortification, at least not directly. Repentance, penance, and mortification are three different things. Some definitions might help.
Repentance is the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse, a change of heart. It is generally described as a turning away from sin and worldly values and turning your face (and heart and soul) to God. It is foundational. You can't give yourself over to God without it. So repent if you would call yourself a Christian.
Repenting brings consequences: restoration and reconciliation. If you steal and you repent, you still have to pay back what you stole. "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it. Hence the need for penance. Penance is
voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong. It may include dealing with those you've sinned against. Sometimes that person is God himself. Traditional forms are fasting. abstinence, and alms giving in recompense to God.
So far so good. That brings me to mortification. The very word sounds Victorian if not medieval and makes me shudder, thinking of hair shirts, flagellation, and other forms of artificially imposed pain. I'm not so sure Leseur had that sort of thing in mind at all, and when I dig more deeply I begin to have an to get a glimpse of why it might be important.
The word mortification comes from the Latin word for death and refers to the necessity of death to self in order to experience life in Christ. It is the practice of asceticism or penitential discipline designed to overcome desire for sin/worldliness and to strengthen the will.
What attracted me to Elizabeth Leseur in the first place is that she generally doesn't see the need to go to heroic, artificial, and sometimes egotistical lengths. In fact she gives the caveat: unless it is harmful to my health. The idea is to empty out self, to dominion of soul over mind and body. There are plenty of opportunities daily, she says to mortify yourself. Accepting the foibles, demands, and thoughtlessness of those around me without complaint is the biggest one. Disciplining my body's eating habits, my mind's erratic thoughts, and the kinds and amount of information and entertainment I consume offers me plenty of opportunity to die to self. Last but not least Leseur would add accepting illness and weakness, of which she suffered more than her share. In my case it is more a matter of accepting the indignities of an aging body than a sick one. She adds at the end of her list the importance of hospitality and making herself accessible to people.
I'm still not particularly at ease with this concept, but I have an inkling. Maybe when it cycles around again, I'll have a better handle on it. And maybe I ought to pray for help with it.
Repenting brings consequences: restoration and reconciliation. If you steal and you repent, you still have to pay back what you stole. "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it. Hence the need for penance. Penance is
voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong. It may include dealing with those you've sinned against. Sometimes that person is God himself. Traditional forms are fasting. abstinence, and alms giving in recompense to God.
So far so good. That brings me to mortification. The very word sounds Victorian if not medieval and makes me shudder, thinking of hair shirts, flagellation, and other forms of artificially imposed pain. I'm not so sure Leseur had that sort of thing in mind at all, and when I dig more deeply I begin to have an to get a glimpse of why it might be important.
The word mortification comes from the Latin word for death and refers to the necessity of death to self in order to experience life in Christ. It is the practice of asceticism or penitential discipline designed to overcome desire for sin/worldliness and to strengthen the will.
What attracted me to Elizabeth Leseur in the first place is that she generally doesn't see the need to go to heroic, artificial, and sometimes egotistical lengths. In fact she gives the caveat: unless it is harmful to my health. The idea is to empty out self, to dominion of soul over mind and body. There are plenty of opportunities daily, she says to mortify yourself. Accepting the foibles, demands, and thoughtlessness of those around me without complaint is the biggest one. Disciplining my body's eating habits, my mind's erratic thoughts, and the kinds and amount of information and entertainment I consume offers me plenty of opportunity to die to self. Last but not least Leseur would add accepting illness and weakness, of which she suffered more than her share. In my case it is more a matter of accepting the indignities of an aging body than a sick one. She adds at the end of her list the importance of hospitality and making herself accessible to people.
I'm still not particularly at ease with this concept, but I have an inkling. Maybe when it cycles around again, I'll have a better handle on it. And maybe I ought to pray for help with it.
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