Give it up!

Excellent ideas! If you are searching for something to add meaning to this Lenten season, look here...

Living the questions....

Someone who helps me walk the path and gently nudges me whenever I stray posted this today...

The article can be found here....

A prayer for Lent

O Lord of my heart and soul,

purge me of my spiritual ambition,

cleanse me of my self-interest,

purify my motive,

fill me with your Spirit,

and then, O God, please make,

...”the word...in you, near your mouth and in your heart” (Romans 10:8)

something other than “me” or “my”.

Forgive my preoccupation with self,

bring others into focus,

direct awareness, loving kindness,

generosity and justice,

ever to my thoughts and to my heart...

Amen

About Lent...

"...Naturally, folks are all abuzz about how to best observe. As I read through Facebook comments, tweets, and blog posts, I find that I have had all of the typical responses.

• “I’m gonna give up chocolate or alcohol.”
• “Giving things up is ridiculous. God wants us to live fully live. This whole practice is just stupid.”
• “Instead of giving something up, I’m taking something on this year.”

Like I said: I’ve said and done each of these things. I’ve given up something that was that important, I’ve wholly rejected the practice as a part of my rejection of conformist religion, and I’ve tried to reframe “self-denial” into “self-giving.”
But each of these responses makes a mistake, in my opinion. Notice that all of them are about me. They have very little to do with what God might be doing, but about something that I’m doing. Each of these responses betray a belief that I am the one in control, that I am the one, ultimately, who matters. As Richard Rohr says,

Resurrection takes care of itself. It’s getting people into tombs that’s hard. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, most contemporary people, both liberals and conservatives, abhor boundaries.

This realization was a hard truth for me, and so I have returned to the classic Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I encourage you to do the same."

Read the rest of the article here...excellent food for thought!

Lent

Traditionally, Lent was a time for personal conversion leading up to Easter, during which Christians practiced the spiritual disciplines of fasting, praying and almsgiving to strip away all that is unnecessary and become more mindful of their ultimate dependence on God. Let’s recapture the true meaning of Lent in ways that are actually relevant to your life. Each day throughout Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday, the calendar’s link for that day will become active, revealing a Daily Jolt for spiritual contemplation relating to Lent, and new and practical ideas for fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Check out Busted Halo's website for their Lenten Calendar.

And if you're not sure what this "Lent" stuff is all about...check out this video:

Prayer Path

The Youth are hosting "The Prayer Path" a Christ-centered Labyrinth experience along with a few additional prayer stations today and tomorrow. Lifting up prayers that those who attend do so with an open heart and open ears. That they will hear the voice of God during their walk.

This is an online version of the Path:

http://www.yfc.co.uk/labyrinth/online.html

We will be located in Fellowship Hall.
Saturday, 3/24, from 1pm to 5pm
Sunday, 3/25, from 2pm to 6pm

Laetare Sunday

Because the midpoint of Lent is the Thursday of the third week of Lent, in the Eastern Orthodox church, Laetare Sunday has traditionally been viewed as a day of celebration, on which the austerity of Lent is briefly lessened. The purple vestments and altar cloths of Lent are set aside, and rose ones are used instead. Flowers, which are normally forbidden during Lent, may be placed on the altar. Traditionally, the organ was never played during Lent, except on Laetare Sunday.

Because we are halfway through the Lenten season, it's a good time to take stock of what you're doing. Did you make a commitment to give something up? How is that going for you? Perhaps you added a Study at church, or agreed to read certain books or texts, again, are you keeping up with this promise? If not, now is a good time to start again...or change directions and take another path.

Whatever your Lenten discipline, we can all use more prayer in our life. The two shown below are easy to memorize and add. The first, by St. Ephrem, can be said morning and night...to focus our thoughts and our lives. The second "The Jesus Prayer" can be used at anytime (or all the time) during the day to "center" us. Personally, I pray the Jesus prayer with prayer beads I made myself. In times of stress, strain or feeling down, I can hold the prayer beads in my hand to remind me the Christ is there for me. They have been a part of so many prayers, worship services, acts of discipline and I have an immediate reaction to the feel of them in my hand.

The Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian

O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter. Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience and love. O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and to not judge my brother, for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

If you have a few moments each day that you can spend away from the world, reading the Scriptures are a wonderful discipline to add. I would suggest beginning with the Psalms (Psalms 113 - 118) are an excellent place to start. Add more when you're ready or maybe pick up a book of Daily Scripture Readings...or look on-line.

Whatever choice you make concerning Spiritual Disciplines, the key is following through, daily. And when the Easter sunrise dawns, chances are you'll continue what you've started.

Journey...

If this video speaks to you...plan to spend a few moments each day this week with Tony.



From: The 40 day Journey

Spiritual Disciplines

If you're still be looking to add a discipline to your Lent...it's not too late.  I ran across "40 Days of Yes" yesterday. It is user friendly (they've even linked the Bible Verses), not very time consuming, and from what I've read, thought provoking.

If you're just looking for something to do in the next few minutes, how about an online labyrinth? At Gratefulness.org website you can "walk" one or be "carried"! There's another labyrinth that is described as an "interactive spiritual experience" at Labyrinth.org.uk . Any one of them is worth a few minutes of your time.

Last, but not least, you can visit the Irish Jesuits at Sacred Space.org for a different type of online experience. You can follow a directed prayer by clicking on "Begin the Prayer. They have a documented Lenten Retreat or you can follow the Way of the Cross or even observe their Lenten Calendar. Do any one or all...however you feel led.

Each of these experiences will offer you the opportunity to relax, unwind and be intentional in your spiritual discipline. Enjoy!

A Franciscan Blessing

Lent 2011: A Franciscan Blessing from World Vision ACT:S on Vimeo.

Mary's Way of the Cross

Every other year, I take the youth of our congregation and visit the local Catholic Church. Along with at least one of their members, we walk the Stations of the Cross. Although we do not recite the prayers, the person leading us reads the story associated with each Station. I find it beautiful and uplifting each time we visit. The young ones seem to see it the same.

Some Catholic Churches have chosen to follow "Mary's Way of the Cross. Although I haven't seen it in person, I'm sure it's touching to behold. I thought I would give you a glimpse of each station. I have attached the meditation for each but if you'd like to see it in it's entirety, visit here.

"Mary's Way of the Cross" follows the mother of Jesus as she walks the road to Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, emphasizing her sense of surrender: "I knew it had to be, so I walked on silently." Enter an intimate journey of faith through a deep reflection that will unite one's pain and suffering with Jesus on the cross through the sorrowful heart of His Mother.

It was early Friday morning when I saw my son. That was the first glimpse I had of him since they took him away. His bruised and bleeding skin sent a sword of pain deep into my heart and tears down my cheeks. Then Pilate, from his chair of judgment, asked the crowd why they wanted my son executed. All around me they shouted, "Crucify him!" I wanted to plead with them to stop, but I knew this had to be. So I stood by and cried silently. 

Regaining a little strength, I walked with the crowds to the entrance of the square. A door flew open and my son stumbled out, the guards laughing behind him. Two men dragged over a heavy wooden cross and dropped it on his shoulders. Then they shoved him down the road. My pain for him was unbearable. I wanted to take the cross from him and carry it myself. But I knew this had to be, so I walked on silently. 

I followed close behind my son as he stumbled toward Calvary. Nothing had ever hurt me more than to see him in such pain. I saw the cross digging into his shoulders. My heart dropped when I saw him fall face to the ground, the heavy cross landing squarely on his back. For a moment I thought my beloved son was dead. Now my whole body began to tremble. Then the guards kicked him. He rose slowly and began to walk again, yet they still whipped him. I wanted to protect him with my own body. But, I knew this had to be, so I walked on and wept silently. 

I had managed to break through the crowd and was walking side by side with my son. I called to him through the shouting voices. He stopped. Our eyes met, mine full of tears of anguish, his full of pain and confusion. I felt helpless; then his eyes said to me, "Courage! There is a purpose for this." As he stumbled on, I knew he was right. So I followed and prayed silently. 

I could now see almost complete helplessness on the face of my son as he tried to carry his heavy load. Each step looked as if it would be his last. I felt his every pain in my heart and I wanted the whole thing to end. Then I noticed some commotion near Jesus. The guards had pulled a protesting man from the crowd. They forced him to pick up the back of the cross to help lighten my son's load. He asked the guards why this had to be. I knew, and so followed silently.

As I continued close by Jesus, a woman pushed past the guards, took off her veil and began to wipe my son's sweating, bloody face. The guards immediately pulled her back. Her face seemed to say, "Why are you doing this to him?" I knew, so I walked on in faith, silently. 

Again my son fell, and again my grief was overwhelming at the thought that he might die. I started to move toward him, but the soldiers prevented me. He rose and stumbled ahead slowly. Seeing my son fall, get up again, and continue on, was bitter anguish to me. But, since I knew this had to be, I walked on silently. 

I was walking a few steps behind Jesus when I saw him stop. Some women were there crying for him and pitying him. He told them not to shed tears for him. They had the opportunity to accept him as the messiah; like many others, they rejected him instead. He told them to shed tears for themselves, tears that would bring their conversion. They did not see the connection between that and his walk to death. I did, and as he walked on, I followed silently. 

This fall of Jesus was agony to me. Not only had he fallen on the rocky ground again, but now he was almost at the top of the hill of crucifixion. The soldiers screamed at him and abused him, almost dragging him the last few steps. My heart pounded as I imagined what they would do to him next. But, I knew this had to be, so I climbed the hill silently behind him. 

With my son finally relieved of the weight of the cross, I thought he would have a chance to rest. But the guards immediately started to rip his clothes off his blood-clotted skin. The sight of my son in such pain was unbearable. Yet, since I knew this had to be, I stood by and cried silently. 

As they threw Jesus on the cross, he willingly allowed himself to be nailed. As they punctured his hands and his feet I felt the pain in my heart. Then they lifted up the cross. There he was, my son, whom I love so much, being scorned as he struggled for the last few moments of earthly life. But I knew this had to be, so I stood by and prayed silently. 

What greater pain is there for a mother than to see her son die right before her eyes! I, who had brought this savior into the world and watched him grow, stood helplessly beneath his cross as he lowered his head and died. His earthly anguish was finished, but mine was greater than ever. Yet, this had to be and I had to accept it, so I stood by and I mourned silently.

 

The crowd had gone; the noise had stopped. I stood quietly with one of Jesus' friends and looked up at the dead body of our savior, my son. Then two men took the body from the cross and placed it in my arms. A deep sorrow engulfed my being. Yet, I also felt deep joy. Life had ended cruelly for my son, but it had also brought life to all of us. I knew this had to be, and I prayed silently. 

We brought Jesus' body to a tomb and I arranged it there myself, silently weeping, silently rejoicing. I took one more look at my loving son, and then walked out. They closed the tomb and before I left, I thought, I knew this had to be ...... it had to be for you! I would wait in faith silently. 

Worth a mention...

An Ohio church is offering a drive-thru Ash Wednesday blessing for parishioners pressed for time or reluctant to come inside the church for the Lenten observance.

The Rev. Patricia Anderson Cook of Mt. Healthy United Methodist Church in Mount Healthy offered the ashes Wednesday evening for people of all faiths beginning around 5 p.m. in the church parking lot.

Bridget Spitler, the church's secretary and building manager, said the church had received a lot of positive feedback for offering the drive-thru ashes.

"Some people may not be too comfortable coming in for a serious service," she said, adding that people with severe arthritis or other ailments that make attending the service uncomfortable also appreciate the drive-thru opportunity.

The pastor will provide a church brochure and a Lenten booklet, and the church offers a traditional Ash Wednesday service inside at 7 p.m.

You can read the rest here...
Although we at SFUMC Youth are not offering an opinion, just providing information, there is a place on the website linked to "vote" on the appropriateness of drive-thru Ash Wednesday.

Lenten Calendar

Once again, the folks at Busted Halo are providing us with a Lenten  calendar to show us our utter dependence on God. Visit every day...starting today!

And so it begins...

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season. Several at our church (myself included) will be following A Disciples Path on Sunday mornings. While the meeting is an hour, we must commit to reading and writing in our workbooks 5 days a week. While it sounds like it shouldn't be a big deal, we have promised to meet certain other requirements in order to make this a life changing study. I am looking forward to a time in which I will draw closer to God and allow my life to look more like His.

While I am excited about what I've chosen for Lent, my hat is off to Kevin Alton.

My challenge this year is that my fast for Lent has outward ramifications. The kind that pastors and staff committees need to know about in advance. I’m fasting from the culturally perceived need of fashion and cleanliness to experience what it would be like to be suddenly homeless with only the clothes on your back. Throughout Lent I’m restricting myself to a single set of clothing and barring myself from the use of a traditional shower or laundry facilities. If I or my clothes are clean, it will happen in a sink. Be sure and read the rest of the article .

 I expect to push myself in order to be obedient to what I'm asked to do but otherwise there will not be any discomfort. Kevin will definitely experience discomfort. Follow along with his experience at www.kevinalton.com. I'm sure it will be a most interesting read.

Easter Music

Easter through the musical genius of Beethoven

Death...

The beauty of this sculpture never fails to take my breath. The thought of the price paid by Mary, the mother of Jesus, breaks my heart. The actions of Christ fill me with humbleness.

What Wondrous Love is This?

What Wondrous Love Is This
By: American Folk Hymn

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.

The Thief...

by Third Day

I am a thief, I am a murderer,
Walking up this lonely hill.
What have I done? I don't remember.
No one knows just how I feel;
And I know that my time is coming soon.

It's been so long, oh, such a long time,
Since I've lived with peace and rest.
Now I am here, in my destination,
I guess things work for the best;
And I know that my time is coming soon.

Who is this man? This man beside me,
That they call the King of the Jews.
No, they don't believe, that He's the Messiah,
But, somehow I know that it's true.

They laugh at Him in mockery,
They beat Him till he bleeds,
They nail Him to the rugged cross,
And they raise Him, yeah, they raise Him up next to me.

My time has come, and I'm slowly fading,
But I deserve what I receive.
Jesus, when You are in Your kingdom,
Could You please, please remember me.
Well He looks at me still holding on,
And the tears fall from His eyes,
And He says I tell the truth,
Today, yeah, you will live with Me in paradise, woah yeah.

And I know that my time, yes my time, is coming soon, woah yeah.
And I know that my time, yes my time, is coming soon, woah yeah, yeah
And I know that paradise, paradise is coming soon.

Miserere mei, Deus

Written by Gregorio Allegri to be used during the Tenebrae (This distinctive ceremony is the gradual extinguishing of candles while a series of readings and psalms are chanted or recited) Service in the Sistine Chapel during the 1630's.

Written in Latin, the English translation is:

This translation is from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and is used in Ivor Atkins' English edition of the Miserere (published by Novello):

Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness
According to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences.
Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged.
Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
But lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.
Turn Thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.
Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
O give me the comfort of Thy help again: and stablish me with Thy free Spirit.
Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness.
Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew Thy praise.
For Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee: but Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise.
O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young calves upon Thine altar.

Gethsemane

Tonight the Savior spent in the Garden...praying and sweating drops of blood...remember and worship...