Lent

Sometimes I think I take myself too seriously during penitential season.  I'm very serious about my spiritual growth.  I put a great deal of effort into it.   My personality leads me to a more contemplative lifestyle. 

This year I'm going to make it a different experience.  I will still read my Bible and the devotionals I've collected for Lent.  I'm also going to study George Herbert's work.  His poetry moves me so.  This is one of my favorites:

The Altar

A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears,
Made of a heart, and cemented with teares:
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workmans tool hath touch'd the same
A HEART alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow'r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame,
To praise thy Name:
That if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
O let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
And sanctifie this ALTAR to be thine.

I won't go into great detail about the rest of my devotions in Lent, but I intend to reach outside of my own private study and reach out to others.  I am such an introvert that it does take great effort for me to go beyond the regular rhythm of my days.  I feel called to reach out to those who are considered shut-ins a part of this Lenten journey.

So, I'm leaning on God to give me the strength and grace to do the work He has called me to do.  

My your Lent be blessed and may the power of the Holy Spirit do great works in you and those who surround you!

Pondering Lent

It is hard for me to believe that Lent is upon us!  As I was researching for my yearly Lenten Examination of Conscience I ran across this lovely poem:

Repentance

Lord, I confess my sin is great:
          Great is my sin. Oh! gently treat
With thy quick flower, thy momentary bloom ;
                    Whose life still pressing
                    Is one undressing,
          A steady aiming at a tomb.

          Man's age is two hours' work, or three;
          Each day doth round about us see.
Thus are we to delights: but we are all
                    To sorrows old,
                    If life be told
          From what life feeleth, Adam's fall.

          O let thy height of mercy then
          Compassionate short-breathed men,
Cut me not off for my most foul transgression:
                    I do confess
                    My foolishness;
          My God, accept of my confession.

          Sweeten at length this bitter bowl,
          Which thou hast pour'd into my soul;
Thy wormwood turn to health, winds to fair weather;
                    For if thou stay,
                    I and this day,
          As we did rise, we die together.

by George Herbert 1593-1633

I am going to use this Lenten Examination of Conscience by Marianne Dorman as a tool for my personal Lenten experience this year.  It is based on the Beatitudes of which I am quite fond.

Do you make this a practice?  What are you using?

Lent

Lent is here and I am not.

I mean to say I have planned well for Lent. I have my devotionals, my Bible reading schedule, I am fasting and I am giving more in areas that I have found lacking.

It is a good thing that God knows my heart and whispers in my ear those places which need work. Charity is the word he has given me this Lent.

Charity as a virtue is love.

" Charity - An unlimited loving-kindness towards all others, is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of God. In its most extreme form such love can be self-sacrificial. Confusion can arise from the multiple meanings of the English word "love." The love that is caritas is distinguished by its origin, being Divinely infused into the soul, and by its residing in the will rather than emotions, regardless of what emotions it stirs up. This love is necessary for salvation, and with it no one can be lost."


"Charity is comprised two parts, love of God and love of man, which includes both love of one's neighbor and one's self."

BUT, I am a mother who is distracted by my daughter's upcoming procedure. Reagan is getting a new pacemaker on Friday. I am distracted by my own anxiety. In the scheme of things this is not a big deal. But it is a big deal for me and a very big deal for Reagan.

Reagan is used to procedures. They are a part of her life...and I really hate that part.

The part of her life which steals normalcy from us.

So, I am working very hard on charity as one of my Lenten devotions. I'm sure God means to stretch me well during this relatively minor procedure and inpatient stay in the hospital. I am going to choose charity as we move through this. I know I am going to be challenged greatly but with God I can do all things as long as I keep my eyes focused on Jesus and my heart fixed on heaven.

...and then Lent will truly begin for me.

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Repentance - Anglican Perspective

Lent - Examination of Conscience

One of the reasons I love Lent is that it is a season where I am invited to be introspective. I am introverted by nature but my calling to be a wife and mother keeps me focused on the external most of the hours of my days. In Lent, I have permission to go to the place where I get re-energized and focused with greater frequency –-- solitude!

So, in my solitude, I must be disciplined. My mind must not be allowed to wander. I must be focused on the task at hand. Each Lent we are invited to examine our conscience. God sees us as we are but do we see ourselves as we are? As broken people, we often tuck away our sins in a place where we don’t have to see them for what they are. Sometimes we don't see how our little sins become habit and affect those around us. Taking a closer look at that place, called a conscience, will hopefully help us to see what separates us from God.

So, what is a conscience? I like this definition "It is man’s sanctuary where each of us assesses himself and is assessed by God in terms of our faithfulness or lack thereof to God’s law….Prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we have sinned against God."

What is sin? Sin is anything which offends God.

I like this passage from C. S. Lewis on the root of sin:

“From the moment a creature becomes aware of God as God and of itself as self, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self for the center is opened to it. The sin is committed daily by young children and ignorant peasants as well as by sophisticated persons, by solitaries no less than by those who live in society: it is the fall in every individual life, and in each day of each individual life, the basic sin behind all particular sins: at this very moment you and I are either committing it or about to commit it, or repenting it.”

The Problem of Pain, Chapter 5

It sometimes takes a great deal of courage to examine one’s conscience. For some, it is hard to go to the place where everything is laid bare and we are exposed for who we really are – not just what we want others to see.

It’s not really such a scary place if we invite God to go there with us. I like this prayer to invite God to be with me.

Being raised in the Roman Catholic denomination, I was called to do frequent examination of conscience in preparation for weekly confession. It was training that takes away the fear that some know when called to examine their conscience. It is almost second nature for me.

I go there knowing I am loved and that God desires that the distance that separates me from Him, caused by my broken, sinful nature, be vanished. I want to go there. With all my heart, I want to know His forgiveness and feel His closeness as I repent my sins.

There are many helpful resources on the internet for examining one’s conscience. Because I am called to be a wife and mother, my tool this year will is The Two Shall Become One: The Sacrament of Reconciliation and Marriage.

The Anglican Church calls confession "the ministry of reconciliation" and it is available for all who desire it. Those seeking absolution confess their sins before a priest or a bishop. I don't know many Anglicans who take advantage of this rite. Do you make it a habit?

I'll take the whole of Lent to ponder and pray -- and ask forgiveness. My joy will only be increased when Easter comes...

Lent & Beyond

I've been thinking this week about the very gifted Anglican bloggers that I have become acquainted with around the blogosphere. I am very grateful for their talents and their ability to share how they bring our faith into the home and live the church year - every day, not just Sundays, Holy Days, feasts and commemorations.

When I served on our diocesan youth council, all the buzz at leadership conferences spoke to moving the church's teachings from Sunday school to the home - teaching families how to bring the faith home and live it. I've not seen the trickle-down yet from those conferences but I have found it all right here in the blogging community!

One of my favorite places to visit is a prayer blog called Lent & Beyond. If there is a resource out there Lent & Beyond will probably have it. If you need an answer to a question, it's probably there. Lent & Beyond is all about prayer and living the faith. It is my go to resource!

Karen has put together a Lenten round-up that includes most of my blogging friends and some I don't know but will get to know through their writing. Thanks to all of you who give so much!

Don't forget to visit Jessica's blog, Homemaking Through the Church Year, for some fabulous looking meatless recipes for the Lenten fast.

Looking to Lent

"Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." p. 265 BCP

These words frightened me as a child. Then, I just wasn’t capable of understanding the big picture that comes with Christ's sacrifice for our redemption. Yes, I am dust – really nothing except for who I am in Jesus Christ. Jesus, who came to earth to die for me and you so that we may know eternal life in Him.

Now, these words bring me joy, a subdued joy, but joy nonetheless. As I mature and can better understand just how much His life, suffering and death mean for humanity, I am awed at just how much God loves us. We don’t deserve salvation as wicked, sinful creatures but it is ours! How grateful I am for the Holy Eucharist that follows the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday!

I intend to keep Lent as the penitential season we know it to be with more solitude, prayer, self-examination and fasting – all that is intended to draw me closer to Him. I look forward to it with excitement even - for what will be revealed to me will be precious. I am going to keep a Lenten journal this year to record what I’ve learned and things I should meditate on.

Do you have a little quiet corner for solitude, prayer and study?



This is my little space.



Here, I will be spending time learning more about the Desert Fathers.

The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton

The Desert: An Anthology for Lent by John Moses

Bridges to Contemplative Living by Thomas Merton

I would also like to begin Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross.


Yes, I am dust but I hope to someday rise in glory with all those who have gone before me as a child of God.

Lenten Blog Carnival

is up over at Homemaking Through the Church Year!

Thanks Jessica for all your hard work!

Lenten Blog Carnival

Jessica, at Homemaking Through the Church Year, has graciously offered to host this year's Lenten Blog Carnival. This Carnival is not just for Anglicans. All denominations are invited to participate!

See last year's Lenten Carnival hosted by Kerry at A Ten O'Clock Scholar for some wonderful ideas on how to make your Lenten journey meaningful and ways to involve the whole family.

Ash Wednesday

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."


A repost from 2009 when I was a better blogger...



Today we begin our Lenten journey we are reminded of our mortality and humanity. Anglicans, like Roman Catholics, are required to attend Ash Wednesday services for the imposition of ashes (and the Holy Eucharist) as we begin this penitential season of fasting and prayer. Lent is not optional for us -- we are invited and called to prayer and fasting. It may be strange to some but I love Lent.

A little on the history of Ash Wednesday.

As we begin this season of fasting, we often give up certain foods but the spirit of fasting is related more to freeing ourselves from outside control, distractions and temptations which separate us from God. Can we let go of that which controls us and give ourselves over to freedom found in a closer walk with the Lord as a child of God? A freedom which allows us to serve Him - to shape God's kingdom on earth.

St. John Chrysostom on Fasting
[from Sermons on the Statutes]

Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works.
If you see a poor man, take pity on him.
If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him.
Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet
and the hands and all the members of our bodies.
Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful.
Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour
our brothers?

May He who came to the world to save sinners strengthen us to complete the
fast with humility, have mercy on us and save us.

Lent Is Upon Us...

And I am not in my usual organized mode. Its Shrove Tuesday. Have you been shriven?

Most churches in our denomination have pancake suppers on Shrove Tuesday. A tradition in which the family uses up all the butter and eggs (restricted during Lent) in the house before Lent begins.We will be enjoying a Mardi Gras community event -- not quite the same as being in Cajun country but great Cajun food all the same.

Looking for resources for Lent? Lent and Beyond is my very favorite place to go for Anglican resources.

For more resources, check out last year's Anglican Carnival for Lent.

Lenten Prayer

O Lord, this holy season of Lent is passing quickly.
I entered into it with fear,
but also with great expectations.
I hoped for a great breakthrough,
a powerful conversion, a real change of heart;
I wanted Easter to be a day so full of light
that not even a trace of darkness would be left in my soul.
But I know that you do not come to your people
with thunder and lightening.
Even St. Paul and St. Francis
journeyed through much darkness
before they could see your light.
Let me be thankful for your gentle way.
I know you are at work.
I know you will not leave me alone.
I know you are quickening me for Easter-
but in a way fitting my own history
and my own temperament.

I pray that these last three weeks,
in which you invite me to enter more fully
into the mystery of your passion,
will bring me a greater desire to follow you
on the way that you create for me
and to accept the cross that you give to me.
Let me die to the desire
to choose my own way and select my own cross.

You do not want to make me a hero
but a servant who loves you.

Be with me tomorrow and in the days to come,
and let me experience your gentle presence.
Amen.

From Show Me the Way, Readings for Each Day of Lent
Henri J.M. Nouwen

Lenten Prayer

Dear Lord, you once said,
"The will of him who sent me
is that I should lose nothing
of all that has been given to me."
These words are a source of consolation this day.
They show that you are doing all that can be done
to keep me in your love.
They demonstrate that indeed
you entered this world to save me,
to free me from the bonds of evil and sin,
and to lead me to your Father's house.
They reveal that you are willing
to struggle against the strong powers
which pull me away from you.
Lord, you want to keep me, hold onto me,
fight for me, protect me, help me, support me,
comfort me, and present me to your Father.
It indeed is your divine task not to lose me!
And yet I am free.
I can separate myself from you,
and you will never take this freedom away from me.
Oh, what a wonderful love,
what a mystery of divine grace!
Please Lord, let me freely choose for your love
so that I will not be lost to you.
Amen


from Show Me the Way, Readings for Each Day of Lent
Henri J.M. Nouwen

Movies for Lent

As part of our Lenten tradition, my dear hubby and I generally watch movies we reserve for the season:

Jesus of Nazareth
King of Kings
The Robe
The Ten Commandments
The Passion of the Christ
Ben Hur

Looking for other suggestions to add to our journey!

Sharing My View of God's Creation This Ash Wednesday

Covered by a blanket of snow - about a foot so far - a quiet day of reflection...






The snow keeps falling...










Faithful God, trusting in you
we begin
the forty days of conversion and penance.
Give us the strength for Christian discipline,
that we may renounce evil
and be decisive in doing good.
We ask this through Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Henri Nouwen

A Carnival for Lent - An Anglican Family Lent

Has been posted!










See Kerry's blog! I know it has blessed me...


Image: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoj.

Lent - Fasting and Self-Denial

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting - one full meal and one light snack, both meatless - in the Anglican Church. The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), p. 17, tells us Ash Wednesday and other weekdays of Lent and Holy Week, Good Friday and all other Fridays (except Fridays in the Christmas and Easter seasons) are to be observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial - and traditionally meatless. Sundays are an exception because the are celebrations of our Lord's resurrection. My husband and I limit our diet to soup and salad during Lent - meatless according to what is outlined in the BCP.

In a wonderful book, To God Be the Glory, Growing Towards a Healthy Church by the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman and Mrs. Joann Ackerman, we learn how to live out the implications of the guidelines set in the BCP - additional attendance at mass and other Anglican liturgies, Morning and Evening Prayer, attend a Lenten series at church and/or participate in a Bible study. It is common for Christians to give up something for Lent, but much harder to add something in the form of self-discipline to our already busy lives. How about adding an additional obligation of study, prayer and/or service and give up what is frivolous and unnecessary?

The spirit of fasting is related more to freeing ourselves from outside control, distractions and temptations which separate us from God. Can we let go of that which controls us and give ourselves over to freedom found in a closer walk with the Lord as a child of God? A freedom which allows us to serve Him - to shape God's kingdom on earth.

My children will pick something to give up something important to them this Lenten season - a favorite food, an electronic form of entertainment (TV, Nintendo DS etc.) and it will be hard for them. We will talk about why it was hard when it becomes difficult...and we will talk about how (un)important these things really are.

So how do we go about fasting as serious, mature Christians? It is very easy for me to give up chocolate for Lent. It isn't something I eat frequently, nor do I crave it. I could give up television but I don't watch it. Both would trivialize Lent and do nothing for my spiritual growth or the desired closeness I seek with the Lord on this earthly journey.


Mmmm....what will it be this year?

Lent - Self-Examination and Repentance

So much separates me from the love of God. My sins, though mostly boring and shabby, are uncountable. On Ash Wednesday, we will be reminded that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. Only by His gracious gift, are we given everlasting life. We acknowledge our sins, repent so that we can approach the holy season of Lent with clean hearts.

Many will have made a sacramental confession on Shrove Tuesday and received absolution but this seems to have fallen out of favor. Most seem to prefer the communal rite of confession which some think depersonalizes sin. A sacramental confession is a very effective tool for spiritual growth because of its personal nature as we reconcile our relationship with God.

Self-examination and repentance do not end with the beginning of Lent but continues throughout Lent. In fact, many continue it as a part of a rule of life throughout the year. I grew up in the Roman Catholic church where self-examination and weekly confession were the norm, not the exception.

I have some literature with questions for self-examination that I picked up at church many years ago which can be adapted for all ages which can be used as a guide during this Lenten season.


Me and My Family
How is my relationship with my family? Do we treat one another with love. Am I sensitive to their needs? Do I help them? Do I expect to be the center of attention and have others wait on me?

Me and My Neighbor
How am I at loving the people around me - my friends, my enemies, people to whom I tend to be indifferent, people who are hurting me, people in authority over me? Have I gossiped and lied about people? Am I seeking to create love where there is hatred? Or do I just avoid certain people and situations? Do I apologize when I am wrong? Do I try to make up with others even when I am right or do I just nurse hard feelings?

Me and God
Do I consider god and His will when I make decisions? Have I directed any love toward Him? Do I pray? Read the Bible? Confess my sins? Is God more important to me than success, romance, power, money, popularity, appearance and family?

Me and My Time
What activities most occupy my time? How much of my time is well use? Idly used? Stupidly used? Destructively used?

Me and My Things
How generous am I? Do I give away money and time for good purposes? Is accumulating things or clothes or money at the center of my life? Am I greedy and jealous of what others have?

Me and Myself
Am I honest? Have I stolen, lied or cheated? Have I used drugs or overindulged in alcohol? Have I tried to get others to do these things?

Lent - Holy Scripture and Prayer

As Anglicans, we are invited to approach this holy season of Lent as a season of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.

Book of Common Prayer, p. 265

I plan to spend a great deal of time during this Lenten season with God's Word and in prayer. I always associate God's holy Word with prayer. Lectio divina - holy reading - goes beyond an intellectual exercise while reading the Bible. It is reading, meditating and reflecting on Holy Scripture until Truth emerges and one finds herself/himself resting in the love of God. It is a difficult experience to describe but a form of prayer I discovered unwittingly while grieving my oldest child. Little did I know then that it is a form of prayer that dates back to the sixth century!

Since our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the fall of 2006, the Bible has come to life for me in a new way. I was awed by the desolation of the wilderness. I felt the isolation even though I was surrounded by others. My appreciation for the Lord's trials and temptations in the wilderness has grown deeper though I can't imagine the depth of what the Lord experienced there. I walked the Via Dolorosa - The Way of the Cross - where children spat upon us and my dear husband was attacked by a toddler...all because we worship Christ. Please pray for those who are so filled with hate they indoctrinate their little ones.

Lent is a good time to make Morning and Evening Prayer a daily goal in self- discipline that might continue beyond Easter as part of a rule of life. For many busy families it might be easier to add one office a day and building from there for those who have never done it before. Mark time and make it holy by reading the Daily Offices as a family.

I also have my devotional picked out and ready to pick up. This year I am using Henri Nouwen's Show Me the Way, Readings for Each Day of Lent. I am also going to read Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son - and for Holy Week, Nouwen's Walk with Jesus, Stations of the Cross. I love everything Henri Nouwen writes.

I am presently reading my older daughter's devotional for Lent so I can discuss it with her as she reads: Lenten Days, Lenten Grace, Forty Days with Jesus by Raymond Chapman. My youngest, with Down syndrome will use How Many? A Book of Daily Lenten Devotions for Children and Their Families by Arden W. Mead. It seems to be at about her developmental level. I look forward to their insights as we move through this holy season!

Lent Will Be Here Soon...

To make Lent as meaningful as possible, I am planning this year! I am taking full advantage of all my resources so that we can grow together as a family and walk closer with the Lord. Our Lent will be simple - and fruitful I hope.

This article is from my bimonthly church newsletter which first appeared in The Anglican Digest by The Right Reverend Michael Marshall, former Bishop of Woolwich in England and founder of The Anglican Institute:

"The Church's season of Lent reminds us that the gift of God's love and life within us is a gift which, like all human life, requires discipline and practice - even the plain hard work - if it is to come to perfection. The athlete, the tennis player or the concert pianist - gifted as they all are - will all tell you that their performance which makes it look so easy, certainly did not result from just 'doing what comes naturally'...

Are we willing to exercise a similar discipline for the sake of spiritual growth; to bring us just a few steps away from the prison house of 'my will be done' in the direction of the land of freedom where it is 'Thy will be done'? If so, then the equation is inevitable. Less time for self; more time for others - for Bible reading, prayer and (above all) for Worship. Less money spent on self; more available for where there is a greater need. Less self-indulgence; more awareness of others and above all God. In short, a time of practice and rehearsal on earth, to equip us to enjoy the gift and glory of heaven."

As Anglicans, we are invited to approach this holy season of Lent as a season of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.
Book of Common Prayer, p.265