What do we do for Lent around here?
Next week, on Wednesday, March 5 during our Ash Wednesday services, (which you can come to at either 12:15pm or 7pm) I will turn to the congregation and say:
“Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.”
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lenten season. Occasionally people come to me asking what they need to give up to observe Lent. The truth is, there is not a straight-forward answer to that question. Traditionally, the Roman Catholic Church instructed adherents not to eat meat on the Fridays of Lent. While the Episcopal Church is less prescriptive in Lenten disciplines, this doesn’t mean we get a pass. Instead, you’re invited to find a discipline that is unique to your needs and growing edges. Here is a list of some options to consider:
Things you can join in the community at St. Patrick’s:
Starting on March 12, we will have an 11am Eucharist service every Wednesday. This will be casual and quieter than our normal Sunday services, but Eucharist nonetheless.
Starting on March 19, we will have a Wednesday evening program starting with soup dinner at 5:30pm, and scriptural engagement and discussion from 6-7pm. If you’re able to bring a soup or bread one of those evenings, please sign up here.
Join one of the regular scripture studies happening at St. Patrick’s: Lectio Divina meets on Tuesdays at 4pm and Bible Study meets on Fridays at 9:30am.
Things you can read/learn from:
God Didn’t Make Us to Hate Us: 40 Devotions to Liberate Your Faith from Fear and Reconnect with Joy by the Rev. Lizzie McMannus-Dail (available here: https://a.co/d/0tMuaoH)
Lent is Not Rocket Science: An Exploration of God, Creation, and the Cosmos by the Rev. Nicholas Knisely (https://a.co/d/baPOu0k)
The Disciples Way: Daily Reflections for Lent (https://a.co/d/1H8Z70l)
40 Day Journey with Madeleine L’Engle (https://a.co/d/cPUZJGx)
Find a course from the Bible Project to delve into: https://bibleproject.com/classroom/
Participate in Lent Madness (https://www.lentmadness.org/) If you like March Madness with the bracket competition but wish you could replace college basketball teams with saints, this is the website for you! Vote each day for your favorite saints and see who will win the golden halo.
Give up something:
Give up chocolate.
Give up alcohol.
Give up caffeine. (I would personally need to be placed on short-term disability if I tried this.)
Give up online shopping.
Give up looking at your phone in public.
Add something:
Add a private prayer practice to your life. If you look up the Venite app on your iPhone or Android, this can guide you through morning and evening prayer from our Anglican/Episcopal tradition.
Every day in Lent, write and send a note to a friend, family member, or acquaintance expressing your appreciation for them.
Find ways to be more physically active through walking or other exercises. Don’t see this as an attempt to lose weight but as a way to appreciate the body God has given you.
This is only a tiny sampling of the many possibilities of Lenten practices for you to take on. I encourage you to get creative and challenge yourself this Lent!
-Cortney+
