Lent (Page 5)
Lent is the 40-day period of preparation for Holy Week.
The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday. During Ash Wednesday services or “Ashes to Go” offerings, we remember the fact of our mortality as a prompting toward self-examination.
View resources and news related to the season:
- Societ of St. John the Evangelist – Lenten devotional materials
- Archbishop of Canterbury’s Book, selected each year.
- Episcopal Relief and Development – Lenten Meditations – order booklets in English or Spanish (free)
- Lent Madness – Learn about the saints! Fill out a bracket and vote for your favorites to win the Golden Halo.
- Trinity Institute – from Trinity Wall Street – 2017’s topic is Water Justice, along with Lenten resources: a study guide and sermon series with discussion questions.
- Video meditation on Ash Wednesday, by Trinity Cathedral Media at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Phoenix, AZ
https://youtu.be/sB_OflgtJwg?t=16s?rel=0
Lenten Reflection: Love
Humble self-knowledge means seeing ourselves and others as God sees us. True humility delights in learning to love ourselves and others as God loves us. – Br. Jonathan Maury Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/9-lU7kRm75U Question for Reflection: Can you trust that God not only loves, but also likes you? All of you? Comments: We welcome your comments on this video series. Click here to share thoughts.…
Lenten Reflection: Look
When we gaze at something, whether it be a window or the moon, at the face of a loved one or a mystery not completely understood we do so filled with hope, with wonder, with expectation, with love. When we gaze at someone or something, anything is possible and we are drawn out of ourselves and into the mystery of what might be. – Br. James Koester Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not…
Lenten Reflection: Listen
If God seems distant or uncommunicative these days, maybe you’re simply not listening. God doesn’t shout: God’s first language is silence. Maybe in your prayers you are doing too much talking and not enough listening. – Br. Geoffrey Tristram Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/agFDv9lgjN4 Question for Reflection: Do you listen enough in prayer? Comments: We welcome your comments on this video series. Click here to share…
Lenten Reflection: Distraction
Life is inevitably full of movement, and we know that Jesus was often on the go. He says more than once to his followers, “Come, follow me.” He sends his followers out: “Go into all the world.” He talks about laboring and sowing and harvesting. And yet Jesus also talks about being. Simply being is what can be so elusive and so lost. “Abide with me,” we hear Jesus saying.” “Stay with me,” he says. – Br. Curtis Almquist Society…
Lenten Reflection: Scripture
Once a week take time to pray with scripture. Robert Wicks, a leading psychotherapist and spiritual director, recommends lectio divina, the method of reading over a passage of scripture a few times until a word or phrase seems to lift up, then “chewing on it” until a door opens for conversation with God. – Br. Eldridge Pendleton Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/gMy2Tf-zfOc Question for Reflection: Will…
Lenten Reflection: Collaboration
There is a growing desire to collaborate in works of justice and compassion. A growing concern for the whole. We’ve gone far beyond “what must I do to be saved?”—which is well and good—to “how can we work with God to establish the Kingdom on earth?” – Br. Mark Brown Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/oI1qjtQVfU4 Question for Reflection: Might your concerns hold an invitation to collaborate…
Lenten Reflection: Place
Presume that God’s revelation is happening all along the way, not just in “sacred” moments but in every moment, every day. Practice attentiveness. Saint Columba said, “God is everywhere in his immensity, and everywhere close at hand.” – Br. Curtis Almquist Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/4PVYN3Yr19E Question for Reflection: What places, indoors or outdoors, do you feel nearest to God? Comments: We welcome your comments on this…
Lenten Reflection: Honesty
Prayer, to be genuine, must be real. God is not interested in how “spiritual” we can look and sound. Prayer is meant to be grounded in the reality of our daily lives; it is meant to touch every part of us. To be genuine and effective, it must be honest and real. – Br. David Vryhof Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/9WUr9r1HtQY Question for Reflection: Can you…
Lenten Reflection: Joy
Perhaps we could think of cheerfulness, a gentle good cheer as a spiritual practice, or, at least, as a spiritual good—as a way of being compassionate to those we live with. A way of bringing the light of Christ, the gracious light of Christ into the lives of others. – Br. Mark Brown Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/YugU6HOteak Question for Reflection: What practice might help you…
Lenten Reflection: Encounter
Coming into church many people take holy water on their forefinger to remind them of their baptism, make the sign of the cross, or bow, or simply pause on the threshold, aware of entering a holy place. “This is the gate of heaven” – a place of encounter. So come with expectancy. – Br. Geoffrey Tristram Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/DGgeYe6EJFo Question for Reflection: Have you…
Lenten Reflection: Jesus
Especially during moments of space, you might find it inviting to breathe the name of Jesus: to breathe in the name of Jesus; to breathe out the name of Jesus. You might even find it inviting to pray the ancient “Jesus Prayer” as you breathe: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God: Have mercy upon me. – Br. Curtis Almquist Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/rMNm19h-PMc…
Lenten Reflection: Intimacy
Jesus comes among us, as one of us, to reveal to us a greater love than we have ever known, and to invite us into an intimacy deeper than we could ever have imagined with the God whose very being is Love. – Br. David Vryhof Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/Q2tlousD0P8 Question for Reflection: What might you do for God today, as a sign of intimacy?…
Lenten Reflection: Longing
As God’s people we have been here before. We have been in this place of longing for what once was and hoping for it again. And it is a good place to be! It helps to remind us about that for which we truly long, and that for which we truly hope. – Br. James Koester Society of Saint John the Evangelist To Read More, Click Here Video not displaying? Click here to view: http://youtu.be/fRZl56N1mYw Question for Reflection: Can you…
Focus
Lent is a very appropriate time for each of us to ask ourselves, “How is God working out his purposes in my life? How do I cooperate with God in this? And how am I blocking or thwarting God’s purposes?” When we stop to consider our spiritual lives, and take stock, as we traditionally do in Lent, it is better, I think, not to focus on ourselves but on God. – Br. Geoffrey Tristram Society of Saint John the Evangelist…
Introducing “Brother, Give us a Word” from SSJE
During Lent, we walk a purposeful, spiritual path of transformation; we start at one place and arrive at Easter in a new spiritual place. As a resource for your spiritual journey this Lent, we offer you “Brother, Give Us a Word,” a reflection resource published by the monks from the Episcopal brotherhood of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE). This monastic community of the Episcopal Church is spiritually vibrant and engaged with the world; you can read in this…
Episcopal Church Office of Black Ministries offers Lenten Study Resource
The Episcopal Church Office of Black Ministries has issued a free Lenten Study Resource designed to invite all ages to participate in the reflective nature of Lent. The Lenten Study Resource, “Fill Me, Use Me…for the Work of Ministry” is available here.