Keeping a Holy Lent
Staying grounded for any period of time is difficult. Distractions arise, life creeps in, and we ourselves are uncomfortable with periods of introspection that last longer than a few moments, much less a few days. Some think clergy are exempt from this struggle, but we are not, I assure you!
For the forty days of Lent, I invite you to an intentional period of introspection, prayer, confession, and study. As someone who relishes the distractions in life, I invite you to walk with me in some of the practices I will be trying during this season.
The first is regular worship: Consider entering Lent as a time set apart from the rest of your year. Begin with the feast of Shrove Tuesday—a literal pancake feast for the whole family on Tuesday, Feb. 16 starting at 6 p.m. The next day, Feb. 17, is Ash Wednesday, when we deliberately remember our creatureliness: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Three services are available for your choosing: 7 a.m., 12 noon, and 7:30 p.m., with Holy Eucharist and the imposition of ashes (optional) in all three. For regular Sundays, try reading one or more of the Scriptures during the week before, and come a few minutes early on Sunday to ground yourself in prayer—call or email the church office for the readings, or google “lectionary page” to find the appointed readings for the coming Sunday. During Holy Week, there are services of worship on Maundy Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with dinner at 6:30 p.m.), on Good Friday from 12-3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., on Easter Vigil at 7:30 p.m., and of course on Easter Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
The next is study: On Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. come hear the sayings and stories of the desert monastics, Christian men and women in the 3rd and 4th centuries who fled society because they sought a relationship with God unencumbered by the trappings of the world and even of the church in their day. Or come on Wednesday evenings to think theologically with readings from the writer C.S. Lewis on life’s big issues: evil, faith, and love, to name a few.
Another is fasting: try fasting from sun-up to sun-down on a given day, or on the appointed fast days in the Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Observe how often we go to the refrigerator looking for spiritual nourishment. See how food, like anything, can become an addictive force, or how easy it is to take good food for granted.
Lastly, seek out a clergy person or someone you trust with whom to have some spiritual conversation: Where are you on your journey of faith, and how is God present or absent in your life? What is getting in the way of a life more fully lived, and what kind of support do you need? In the Episcopal tradition we have the rite of reconciliation, which is a one-to-one confessional service with a clergy. Both Bob and I welcome appointments with whomever desires this; just email or call Bob or me, or contact the church office to make an appointment.
With gratitude for your fellowship on this journey, I humbly invite you to a holy Lent.
Faithfully,
Wes