A Communal Affair
I don't think Lent should be observed in isolation. We have much to learn from each other, and much to give to one another as well.
So, how are you observing Lent? What are you learning in the process ... about God, about you? How is your awareness of God and dependence upon Him growing, even in the little things of the day? What kinds of dependencies and comforts and consumer habits are surfacing in your life?
One of the ways I am observing Lent is to give up TV and talk radio (I fill my life with so much noise). Already I've noticed how habitually and mindlessly I turn these things on. I catch myself several times a day as I reach for the power button. It's forcing me to listen to God during those times, which is not as easy of course, but the best things in life aren't easy.
What about you?
A LENTEN PRAYER (which can be found here)
For sins which we ourselves have committed and for sins of omission,
for sins of our hands and sins of our hearts,
for the hurt we have caused you and our neighbors through ignorance or indifference,
We ask your forgiveness
For failure to see your image in someone who is different,
We ask your forgiveness
For putting our own welfare and social comfort above the basic needs of others,
We ask your forgiveness
For our reluctance to get involved,
We ask your forgiveness
For being grateful that we are in some way superior to another,
We ask your forgiveness
For teaching that it is better to receive than to give,
We ask your forgiveness
For the failure of your Church to be light in the darkness,
We ask your forgiveness
SCRIPTURE READING: Hosea 14
So, how are you observing Lent? What are you learning in the process ... about God, about you? How is your awareness of God and dependence upon Him growing, even in the little things of the day? What kinds of dependencies and comforts and consumer habits are surfacing in your life?
One of the ways I am observing Lent is to give up TV and talk radio (I fill my life with so much noise). Already I've noticed how habitually and mindlessly I turn these things on. I catch myself several times a day as I reach for the power button. It's forcing me to listen to God during those times, which is not as easy of course, but the best things in life aren't easy.
What about you?
A LENTEN PRAYER (which can be found here)
For sins which we ourselves have committed and for sins of omission,
for sins of our hands and sins of our hearts,
for the hurt we have caused you and our neighbors through ignorance or indifference,
We ask your forgiveness
For failure to see your image in someone who is different,
We ask your forgiveness
For putting our own welfare and social comfort above the basic needs of others,
We ask your forgiveness
For our reluctance to get involved,
We ask your forgiveness
For being grateful that we are in some way superior to another,
We ask your forgiveness
For teaching that it is better to receive than to give,
We ask your forgiveness
For the failure of your Church to be light in the darkness,
We ask your forgiveness
SCRIPTURE READING: Hosea 14
posted by Will | 9:53 AM
7 Comments:
interesting that hosea 14 links wisdom and understanding with repentance
where did you get that prayer from hmd.org? all i could find was stuff about death and pain.
derrick
I dig the Lenten prayer, thanks Will.
And yeah, Hosea 14 is short, but intense -to me anyway.
Derrick, yeah that doesn't look right. I found this prayer last year ... I wonder if that site no longer exists and/or has been bought by this hospice? Anyway, I got it from somewhere.
I find that I want in this season to identify with Jesus' time in the wilderness but I uncomfortably find I identify far more with the Israelites' time there. I am not Scripturally-saturated and Satan trouncing but a whiner and a failure. In seeing our own inability to even do what we ought and intend, we see our need for Christ.
This lenten season has been a bit different for me. I was with you, Will, the last couple of years (meaning that I gave up television and intentionally spent more time in the Word and interacting with Jesus through scripture). This year has been different, but challenging as well.
To be honest, I have been trying to give up just walking through life/coasting through life. More focus has been spent the last couple of weeks looking at how Jesus has wired me and how I have been created to serve him and his Kingdom. I have been paying more and more attention to what gives me life, where I am filled with energy, and how I feel doing various different things throughout the day (ex: studying, working, engaging with co-workers, teaching, counceling students, being with family and friends, loving my wife, etc...)
This focus has brought me to a point of allowing Jesus into various aspects of my life consistantly throughout the day. At this point, I sense that God has pieced me together in a certain way and he is most glorified when I am using the gifts that he has given me to further his work in the here and now.
I am also becoming more aware of things in my life that I do out of selfish reasons that end up draining me and zapping my energy (ex: repeatedly checking email, creating excuses for not getting things done, passively ignoring responsibilities as a husband and father so that I can get a quick moment to myself). So when you ask the question, "What about you?", that is how my lenten season is playing out in week one.
One of the ways that I am observing Lent is by volunteering.. I actually struggle with volunteering a lot.. I'm just not a fan of it. And as Lent approached, I really prayed about it, and I felt God moving towards volunteering from the get go, but because I struggle with it so much, I kept going back to Him and asking the question-- Really? Is this REALLY what You want? Seriously? Can't I do anything else for You.. WOW I REALLY don't want to do this.. After I stopped my 2 year old tantrum, I finally accepted the truth that Jesus was putting in my heart and reached out to an organization and "committed" my time; of course .. because this is how God and I roll, the organization that I have been drawn too, requires a one year minimum commitment -- which is AWESOME (it's hard to type sarcasm).. As you can see, I'm still in the tantrum phase, but I have joy in my heart, because I am confident that this is a decision that Jesus and I came to together.. and I am actually looking forward to starting (the next orientation isn't for a couple weeks).. and I am sure by this time next year, I will be the biggest advocate of volunteering you have ever met :) but for now, I'm going to take comfort in my resistance.. while keeping an open heart. ~ Lisa
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