Lent
![Image courtesy of Keith Vertanen [www.keithv.com]](cracked_mud_nimb_small_resized.jpg) Lent
is a season for reflection and returning to God. Beginning on Ash
Wednesday, Lent extends for six weeks and ends in Holy Week, the
week before Easter. In some traditions, Lent ends on the eve of
Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. Other traditions
have Lent ending on the evening before Easter Sunday. During
Lent, some churches remain open on Fridays for prayer and
walking the Stations of the
Cross.
Lenten Longing
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Longing for connection.
Longing to be not alone.
Longing for what makes
life whole.
Longing for love.
Longing for God. |
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And God’s longing back,
longing for all creation,
for every atom of being.
Longing for love.
Longing for me. |
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Return, O my soul, to your rest…
Psalm 116: 7a |
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How could the soul not take flight
When from the glorious Presence
A soft call flows sweet as honey, comes right up to her
And whispers, “Rise up now, come away.”
From “Hurry to the Source of Life,” by Rumi.
For the complete poem with haiku responses,
go to Lectio + Haiku. |
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Meditation for Lent
Luke 4: 1 - 4
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he
was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those
days, and when they were over, he was famished.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this
stone to become a loaf of bread. Jesus answered him, “It is
written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”
Satan tempts the physically-starved Jesus to turn stones into
bread. In refusing, Jesus quotes a passage from Hebrew scripture
that goes on to say what does sustain life, “one does not live
by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God” (Deuteronomy 8:3b). The verse refers back to the
time the Hebrew people spent in the wilderness after fleeing
Egypt, completely dependent on acts of God for their most basic
needs.
For some reason, the story of Jesus being tempted to fill his
empty belly by turning stones into bread makes me think of times
I’m tempted fill my empty soul with comfort food for the body.
With chocolate, for example. Or alcohol, or sex.
Which can work just fine. When I’m lost in the shadows, a rich,
dark truffle might be just the thing to pull me back into the
light. And ‘making love’ can truly live up to its name under the
right circumstances (even, at times, under the wrong ones).
For me, the trouble starts somewhere in a long, slow,
nearly-imperceptible slide from intentional joy into mindless
habit, until finally I’m in a rut, feeding spiritual hunger with
stones instead of bread, not even aware anymore of a part of me
that’s starving to death.
Which makes me think of the many classic Lenten practices having
to do with habits – with breaking set rhythms in eating and
drinking, shaking one’s body out of its ruts to stand up on the
high plain again, see the wide horizon, feel the wind blow, take
a step on a new path.
What I Did for Lent in 2007
In February 2007, I was awash—at times near drowning—in work
with text, text, and more text. So for my Lenten practice that
year, I decided not to take on any additional study. Instead, I
cleaned out my refrigerator, took regular walks, and kept my
eyes open during walks for interesting natural objects to pick
up and bring home. After Lent, I shared some of those objects
here in the courtyard – in a non-textual way! You can see the
results on the Easter page.
“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart…”
Joel 2:12a
Prayers of the People for Lent
These
Prayers of the People were first used at Sunday services on 24
February 2008 (the 3rd Sunday of Lent) at St. Paul’s Episcopal
Church in Port Townsend, Washington. They were written by Brad
Offutt.
Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent. .
More about responsive
prayer
God of every time and place, help all who in their journey,
step
by step, come to worship you in spirit and in truth. (Leader's words in plain text.)
God of the Church,
Be our Guide. (People's responses in bold italic.)
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I found writing these prayers to be
one of the neatest 'soul experiences'
I've had, because it was so important to
let God take over the effort to help me
do something that is not mine at all.
Rather, in some way, these are prayers
of God's people sort of funneled through
one of them -- just happened to be me
this time. I hope that someone,
somewhere might find some spiritual
value in them.
-- Brad Offutt |
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While in every land your faithful try, often in frustration and
dismay, to do the business of living together at all levels, may
we turn first to you.
God of all nations,
Be our Help.
As with Moses’ rod and Jacob’s well, you have put your
creation’s abundance in our hands. Show us how to use it well.
God of this earth,
Be our Mentor.
Here in our beloved home, dear Lord, help us simply, in
different ways, to tell others what you have shown us.
God of this place,
Be our Voice.
Lord, you suffered as we do, and infinitely more. To each who
suffers, grant anticipation in your healing love.
God of suffering,
Be our Hope.
Father, your Son conquered death once for all. Bring those who
have died into your peace, and bring us too when it is time.
God of immortality,
Be our Life.
Loving and patient God, you have forgiven your people down the
ages, even when they have quarreled with you. Through your Son,
you have given us certain hope. Be our companion each step of
the way as we sweep aside the extraneous and, with the Holy
Spirit and in truth, prepare to celebrate his Resurrection.
Amen.
Prayers and Blessings for the Stumbling Path
On February 6, 2010, I met with five other women at
St. Placid
Priory in Lacey, Washington, for a retreat called “Stumbling
Toward God.” At the close of the day, we joined together in a
brief worship service, each of us offering a prayer or blessing
for our time together.
Here are our prayers and blessings, offered to you now for your
Lenten journey.
May God bless our feet as we stumble.
May God bless our eyes
with light to see the way.
May God bless our hearts
with gratitude for the
path.
May God bless our feet as we stumble.
May we bless God with our courage
to journey.
-- Chrysty, Renton
Lord, thank you that as we
stumble toward you,
you meet us more than halfway.
Thank you that as much as we desire to know you, you
desire to be known.
Thank you for the times of insight and clarity and
for the times of confusion and doubt. You speak to
us through both.
Thank you for giving us this time
to stop our business
and enter into quiet sharing.
-- Sharon, Packwood
Thank you for the gifts of this day. For meeting
these women on courageous journeys, which gives me
the courage to feel that this experience can be a
beginning, that I may find my path in spite of fear
and hesitancy and move closer to connection with
others and relationship with you. I pray for your
patience. Amen.
-- Jennie, Olympia |
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Today I believe you have shown me
that stopping to reflect on who are you, stopping to
acknowledge your presence in my life, and stopping
to re-energize really allows your grace to work
inside and outside of self.
-- Kim, Packwood
Thank you, Spirit of Love, for this day of words,
tears, and muffins.
Bless ____(*) for her humor which she has been given
in exchange for a fearful childhood.
Bless _____ for loving a little boy in her class and
therefore changing his life.
Bless _____ for loving her community, through thick
and thin.
Bless _____ for making music, as necessary for life
as bread.
Bless me in the ways only you know I need. (Like
forgiveness.)
Bless Margaret for bringing us together in this
peaceful, holy place, then stirring us up so that we
can use our dark places to make light.
-- Barbara, Olympia
(*) Barbara wrote a blessing for each woman at the
retreat, drawing from all we shared in our time
together. For privacy’s sake, I deleted names in the posting… then realized that when I
look over her list of blessings, I can fill in each
blank with the name of someone I know well—a friend,
family member, or neighbor. Maybe you can do the
same. |
Icon image for Lent courtesy of
Keith Vertanen
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