A Cure for the Winter Doldrums

by Robert Mohns

“Teach me the way of Your statutes and I will keep it to the end. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in Your ways.”

– Psalm 119:33

The short days and long periods of darkness of winter are upon us. It is a time when the land in the Northern Hemisphere enters a season of rest. In contrast, this time in the church year marks the beginning of the festival season. It is a season that focuses our attention on Jesus and His work of salvation, beginning with Jesus’ incarnation and culminating in His death, resurrection, and ascension—all for us and for our salvation. 

We get to participate in this familiar journey every year, travelling this well-trodden pilgrimage and tracing out the familiar lines of our salvation as unfolded and revealed to us in sacred Scripture. It is by far a better journey than any other annual pilgrimages, whether real or imagined, to a favourite winter vacation spot.

Sometimes, however, our journey is obstructed with the drudgery of everyday life—the distractions and crises of everyday living, the tasks and thoughts of the flesh—and we grow cool and joyless toward our spiritual pilgrimage. We sometimes call these times the winter doldrums.

In the days of wind-powered transatlantic travel, seafarers would encounter regions of slack winds, caused by climatic weather depressions. During these times the ship was adrift with no power to move the craft toward the completion of its journey. This was often referred to as doldrums. The etymology of the term comes from a combination of the word “dull” and “tantrum.”

If the period of doldrums was extensive, the seafarers could potentially run out of necessary supplies. Sometimes, a fair trade wind would arrive to send them on again toward their destination. More often, though, the doldrums would be followed by fierce storms and the development of hurricanes. 

Psalm 119 outlines for us the way of the Christian life as one of Oratio (Prayer), Meditatio (Meditation on the Word of God), and Tentatio (Trials). The whole Psalm is particularly instructive for us in our days.

Does that sound like an accurate description of your life experience? It does for me. It is especially at these times that we would do well to turn to our God. Spend time in prayer. Pull out the Book of Psalms and meditate upon it. Go to church when the opportunity affords itself. Attend the Divine Service when it is available. If it’s not available, arrange a time with the pastor when you can simply come into the sanctuary for quiet devotion, speaking out loud the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and a Psalm or other reading from the Scriptures. Speak quietly, but aloud, your prayers. 

Psalm 119 outlines for us the way of the Christian life as one of Oratio (Prayer), Meditatio (Meditation on the Word of God), and Tentatio (Trials). The whole Psalm is particularly instructive for us in our days. There the psalmist confesses: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant.” In the 33^rd verse, the psalmist asks that the Lord would keep him focused on God’s Word: “Teach me the way of Your statutes and I will keep it to the end. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in Your ways.” So, too, in the midst of our wintery doldrums we find ourselves confessing, “Lord I have lost my way.” We find ourselves praying along with the Psalmist, “Seek your servant, teach me the way of Your statutes, turn my eyes from worthless things, give me life in Your ways.”

And to our prayers let us always remember to add, “Amen.”

I am particularly mindful of Martin Luther’s words on how we should conclude our prayers: “Mark this, that you must always speak the Amen firmly. Never doubt that God in His mercy will surely hear you and say “yes” to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone, rather think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you and you are standing among them in a common and united petition which God cannot disdain.” 

May our days’ journey be begun, continued, and ended in prayer and under that great Amen!

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Rev. Robert Mohns is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s West Regional Pastor.

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