Are you doing anything for Lent? Taking something on? Giving something up? It takes me forever to decide what I’m going to do, and sometimes I have to try a few different options to see what actually sticks. Some years, my Lenten practice doesn’t begin in earnest until the second or even third week of Lent. What can I say – we are all doing the very best we can at any given moment. Myself included.
I want to decide something good, something meaningful, but also something I will actually do. Give up Facebook? Sounds great, but not gonna happen. Give up chocolate? Sure! Until someone offers me a brownie.
I have noticed that if I can’t find a way to specifically link my practice with bringing me closer to God in some way, I’m guaranteed to abandon ship. The very best practices have been ones that bring me not only closer to God, but closer to other people as well. I remember one of my first years living in New York and picking up a Lenten devotional that had been written by members of the parish I was attending. I read it every day, and the experience made me feel closer to the church community because I knew something real about the people there. When I would meet the writers IRL (in real life) at coffee hour, there would already be a sense of connection, making the move from small talk to real talk that much easier.
Through the years, I have come to understand that although we think of Lenten practices as something individual, Lent is actually about relationships and community. The question is, what practices might I adopt that heal and support my relationship with others, and bring me closer to God? Rather than imagining I must adopt a certain individual practice, and perform it perfectly, how might I invite others in to share and support my Lenten discipline?
How is your Lent about relationships? How might you draw closer to the church community, or your other communities, during this season?
Still looking for a Lenten practice? Check out Lent Madness. You can follow on Facebook or Twitter, or you can visit the website each day to read about the saints and vote. You learn about the saints, and you become part of a funny, snarky, prayerful community that loves God, loves the church, and loves the people of God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVVgB29wh50