Today marks the beginning of the Season of Lent within the church year. It’s the start of a 40 day journey that ends on Easter (Sundays don’t count within the 40 days).
Ash Wednesday is a time when ashes are often seen on the forehead of those who mark this entry into the season of Lent by remembering “Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust; repent and believe the good news.” Or another way to say it, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
As I sat in the Sanctuary this morning in quiet reflection and prayer during our Ash Wednesday Morning Prayer Service, I was contemplating how to celebrate this season of Lent. I often give up something or take on something during the 40 day (+7 Sundays) journey of Lent. The idea relates to each time you miss what you’ve given up or do what you’ve taken on, you will be reminded of the Lenten Journey. I hadn’t made up my mind yet about this year, and so I spent time while I was alone in prayer between visitors for the Imposition of Ashes.
It is when a Poem by Ann Weems came to mind. It’s one of my favorite poems for the Lenten Season. “The Holy In The Ordinary” is from her book Kneeling in Jerusalem [(Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992) 13]. She opens the poem by saying, “Holy is the time and holy is this place, and there are holy things that must be said.” It ends asking these questions, “Where, O Holy One, can we find You in this unholy mess? How, O God, can we find the holy in the ordinary.” The whole poem talks about finding the holy moments within the ordinary stuff of life. That’s when the idea hit me. What about being intentional this Lent to look for those holy in the ordinary moments/images/thoughts/experiences and blog those–one each day.
So that’s my Lenten practice for this year: Blog daily about where I see God. Where is Christ’s light shining bright? Where is God’s beauty so clear I can’t ignore it? It may be a story, a word, an image, or whatever other form that fits for that day. The point is for me to be intentional. It reminds me also of my favorite story from Scripture about the Road to Emmaus (hence the Blog title–check out the “About” section to read more). I always enjoy looking for Jesus along the journey of life, and wonder if I recognize Christ when he is walking along beside me. It is often when we take the time to be intentional that the Bread becomes more than Bread and the meal takes on a whole new meaning. Wouldn’t you agree?
Life gets so busy, that I find it hard at times to “stop and smell the roses” or pause and look for those “God Weeds” growing in the yard.
[God Weed is a term coined by Kelsey T. and friends — these awesome youth make up our Moravian Youth Fellowship in the congregation I serve. We take time each night at Laurel Ridge’s Mission Camp in the summers to go around the group and each name where we saw God that day. Inevitability, someone sees God in the beauty of a weed or flower growing in a field or in someone’s yard… Thus “God Weed”.]
I hope you’ll join me this Lent in looking for God’s presences and touch in your daily life. I hope to hear from you. Or better yet, start your own blog list or Facebook status update sharing where you’ve seen God–the Holy in the Ordinary–today!
Living On Emmaus Ave 