We’re in the second week of Lent, already, so I’m late in calling your attention to this: Maggie Dawn resurrected a series of posts she wrote a couple of years ago on the meanings and traditions of Lent. You can navigate using her menu-arrows, or click through to each installment here:
First, second, third, fourth, fifth.
Some food for thought there, if you’ll pardon the pun. Instead of giving something up for Lent this year, I’m trying the “taking on” approach, attempting to institute a degree of actual practice (i.e., habit, repetition) to what are otherwise euphemistically called my “spiritual practices.” For one, I’m trying to close each day with a reading/reflection from this lovely series: Quantum Grace: Lenten Reflections on Creation and Connectedness. (For Sundays, Quantum Grace: The Sunday Readings.)
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has created an emailed series of Lenten reflections centered on creation care. The installments could be a lot more substantive and/or inspirational, but they’re trying. Father Jake calls attention to a similar effort by the Episcopal Public Policy Network.
