I don’t usually like those catchy little phrases you often see posted on church signs when you’re driving by but I have to admit one caught my eye last week and it has stuck with me. In fact I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It said “Does your spiritual house need spring cleaning?” Maybe it’s because IT IS finally spring and I’m so ready to put away the winter blankets, heavy drapes, and extra rugs or maybe it’s the beauty of creation all around me but I’m ready to do some spring cleaning.
I’ll not bore you with all the details of spring cleaning the rectory, just to say Joe has issued an ultimatum… “No more throw pillows to brighten things up a bit!” But I will say something about spring cleaning our spiritual house. Sometimes I think we are reticent to really sweep out the clutter. For example, I like my trinkets of self indulgences, self importance, pride and ego. Who would I be without them? Interiorly I have the furniture all neatly arranged—saying a prayer here and there, reading the Bible now and then, being a pastor as needs arise, writing a sermon on Friday, taking a Sabbath day on Monday. I like the rhythm. It’s comfortable. On the surface things look pretty good. No one but me knows about the cob webs of resentment, the dust bunnies of jealousy, the finger prints of envy, the smudges of grudges. So why do any spring cleaning of my spiritual house? Because God knows and I know.
If we are honest with ourselves, I’ll bet we could all do a little spring cleaning of our spiritual house. We get stuck in a rut. We become complacent. We don’t want to exert the effort to change and grow. But changing and growing and blooming and becoming are what spring is all about. So just for fun do some spring cleaning. Open the windows of your soul. Sweep out the dust of despair. Take up the old rugs of resentment. Give God the clutter of envy and jealousy. Read an inspirational book. Take a walk in the woods. Spend some time in prayer. Begin a new spiritual discipline. Start volunteering in the community.
And if all else fails…buy a throw pillow!