Dear Faith Family,
Today millions of Jesus followers, churchgoers, and religious practitioners worldwide begin a season of abstinence known as Lent. Over the next 40 days, they will abstain from alcohol, social media, sugar, and “anything that hinders our communion with God." (Willis, 21). Some will fast sunrise to sundown, giving up food entirely. Some will freely choose this self-denial for the full 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday, others for three weeks, and some still for the week before Good Friday.
While the methods and duration may differ, what begins today on Ash Wednesday is a preparation "for the miracle of forgiveness on Good Friday and its life-giving power on Easter." (McKnight, 92-93). The Lenten season is dedicated time of "self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word" (Book of Common Prayer, 265).
While many in our faith family will joyously and knowledgeably join with our sisters and brothers worldwide in Lenten practices, there are just as many (including myself) who have a little history with such tradition. So, if you are like me, might I suggest two small steps we can take to join our global faith family at this special time:
Make the Prayer of Examen a daily routine. You can find guides here (scroll down to "Practices').
Join us in a weekly Fast starting this week. You can find a guide here.
Whether today is a significant day in your faith or a day you know hardly anything about, let me invite you to pray with me the "Litany of Penitence" and share with all our brothers and sisters today, a reminder of our mortality and the gracious gift of everlasting life. Pray with the Chruch:
Most holy and merciful Father:
We confess to you and to another,
and to the whole communion of saints
in heaven and on earth,
that we have sinned by our own fault
in thought, word, and deed;
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Father.
We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us, Father.
We confess to you, Father, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives.
We confess to you, Father.
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people,
We confess to you, Father.
Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, Father.
Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work,
We confess to you, Father.
Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us,
We confess to you, Father.
We turn to you, Father, and away from the wrongs we have done: acknowledging our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,
We hold fast to you, Father.
Acknowledging false judgments, uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and prejudice and contempt toward those who are different from us,
We turn to you, Father.
Acknowledging our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
We hold fast to you, Father.
Restore us, good Father, and let your anger depart from us;
Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
Bring to maturity the fruit of your salvation,
That we may show forth your glory in the world.
By the cross and passion of your Son our King and Friend,
Bring us with all your saints into the complete joy of his resurrection.
Amen.
Love you, faith family! God bless.