Resources for Lent 2023

Dear Friends,

How can I keep a holy Lent this year?   Let’s start with what the Church invites us to do (BCP p. 265):

• Self-examination and repentance
• Prayer, fasting, and self-denial
• Reading and meditating on God’s holy Word

Self-examination and repentance:  The two most popular words in the Ash Wednesday liturgy (not).  Here’s a “life hack” that will help you in this process:

Before you say or do anything, ask yourself, “How does what I intend to say or do give glory to God?”   It doesn’t have to be anything grand or life-changing that you’re planning to say or do.  It’s a question you can return to throughout the day.   And, at the end of each day you can ask yourself, “How did I give glory to God today?”  “What can I do better tomorrow?”

Prayer, fasting, and self-denial:  Of what do I need to let go, at least for a time, so that I can more intentionally practice the presence of God in my life?  What are my daily habits?  What are the things that I just can’t live without?  Is there something that you’re holding on to that you can entrust to God, so that you don’t have to be possessed by it anymore?  If you can risk letting go of something (whether it’s a desire for a new car, anxiety, too much screen time, or even despair) then you will have opened up a space in your life for God’s purposes.  Ever wonder what those might be?

Reading and meditating on God’s holy Word:  Pick a Gospel, any Gospel, and make time to read a chunk of it each day.  It can be a little chunk or a big chunk, depending on your schedule, but keep at it, even if you need to keep reading after Easter.  Write it into your schedule.  Oh, by the way, another way to read and meditate on God’s holy Word is to come to church on Sunday.  You can read the Scripture in your bulletin as the lector is reading it aloud, and then you might hear something in the sermon that’s worth meditating on.  Or not.  Do your own meditating, use your own wisdom and intellect as you approach the Scriptures.  You don’t need a theological degree or advanced training in order to read Scripture.  Your own imagination will do just fine.

Be prepared for hiccups and monkey wrenches and feelings of failure if you miss a day.  Don’t let that stop you.  Pick yourself up and keep on going with your plan for Lent.  And, by all means, keep checking the additional resources for Lent listed below–you might find something worth pursuing.  And know that God is pleased with your efforts. 

Faithfully yours,
Lu-Anne