What are some things you appreciate about the season of Lent? Perhaps you would share 5 of them with us. And for your bonus question feel free to share one thing you could do without.
1) Ash Wednesday - For the last two years a colleague and I have worked together to create a "journey through lent" booklet (not the best descriptor...) that has the gospel readings for the season of Lent and questions for reflection. Then we created prayer stations in the sanctuary to go with each gospel reading. So the Ash Wednesday service is more of a self-guided prayer walk, and folks leave with a "guide" for the Lenten journey. This year will be different - more in keeping with a traditional Ash Wednesday service of repentance but still utilizing a prayer station... tweaking an idea I found at a website called "Contemplative Prayer Stations," and the idea I am using from there is called "Confession with sand".
http://www.creativeprayer.com/index.php?blog=2
2) I love the more reflective services in this season: Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday. I am challenged to be more creative and I love that! This year I hope to create a prayer station/prayer walk in the sanctuary for the Mon-Wed of Holy Week.
3) I am usually challenged in my own walk with Jesus in the season of Lent - as I challenge others to a more disciplined life, my own priorities are "in my face" and I am called to a closer walk.
4) Some of my favorite hymns are Lenten themed: What Wondrous Love Is This, Jesus Remember Me, O Sacred Head Now Wounded, Lift High the Cross, and more.
5) And I love that as we are moved in this season to consider our own walk with Jesus and his call on our lives - that we are reading and hearing of Jesus journey to the cross - and in the world around us spring is bringing the landscape to life promising resurrection.
4 comments:
Contemplative prayer stations - yes! Thank you for such a wonderful reminder of this practice and for playing.
Oooh, yes! The great hymns of the season! And they don't necessarily fit anywhere else well. If I were "Queen of the Hymns" we would only sing "In the Garden" once a year, on Easter, and only then.
Sharon you made me LOL!
Good play and thank you so much for the link!
Is it too funny that my word verf is "imeat."
Like some folks don't eat meat during Lent and others don't on Friday.
I meat
HA
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