Christmas is over and many of us have hardly had time to draw breath before we start thinking about Lent. It begins early this year. Ash Wednesday is February 10th.
Lets Celebrate with Joy
As I mentioned on Monday, here at MSA we have chosen celebration as our overall theme for the year (prompted I think by the Holy Spirit). In February we will celebrate my husband’s 80th birthday. He is the founder of MSA and his books, since the publishing of The Mustard Seed Conspiracy almost 40 years ago have inspired thousands around the world to take their faith more seriously. We want to celebrate that and the ongoing creativity and innovation he inspires. In April we celebrate the launch of Tom’s new book Live Like You Give a Damn: Join the Changemaking Celebration. The launch party will coincide with our favourite conference of the year, the Inhabit conference April 15-16th, hosted by the Parish Collective and Seattle School. If it is possible for you to join us at that conference it would be wonderful.
August 6th & 7th we will celebrate our 25th Celtic Retreat on Camano Island. Here on Godspace we are celebrating and expanding group of contributors and we also hope to celebrate the launch of our Center for Imagination and Innovation before the end of the year.
Lent : Preparing to Celebrate
Celebration always takes preparation and Lent is a good time to prepare our hearts, not just for the celebration of Easter but for that celebrative attitude that should fill our hearts at all times. The question we will focus on as we prepare is: What Do You Hunger for?
Lent, those 40 day’s leading up to the crucifixion of Christ, when we commemorate his 40 days spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry, inspires people of all traditions to fast, or voluntarily give things up for a season. But it is often just that, a voluntary giving up.
Historically the fasting of Lent was, for many people, a necessity rather than a choice. This was the hunger season, that season of the year when there were no fresh crops and the stored goods from last year were dwindling. Hunger and starvation was at its height. Yet it was also a season of hope and promise. New seeds were being planted in the expectation of abundance to come.
So as you get ready to walk through Lent and look forward to the celebration of Easter this year what gnaws with hungry pangs at your soul – is it God’s call for transformation within yourself? Is it your passion for justice and healing? Is it your desire for the restoration of polluted areas of our earth? or is it something else that comes to mind.
We invite you to join us on this journey of preparation for Easter.
First look over the Lenten resource lists from 2015 – are their other resources you feel should be added to these lists?
Second: is there something resonating within you that makes you want to engage in this Lenten challenge. If so consider writing a blog post for Godspace to be published during the season of Lent. If you are interested shoot me an email.
Third: sign up for our Lenten challenge. Our Advent photo challenge was so successful that we have decided to provide another challenge for Lent. Keep your eyes open for the announcement of this and start looking around you now for photo opportunities that could become a part of this.
Fourth: Journey with us through one of the MSA Lenten resources:
40+ Ideas for Lent – a free downloadable activity sheet for Lent
A Journey Into Wholeness: Soul Travel from Lent to Easter. This is available from our website in both paper and ebook (pdf & epub) versions and also from Amazon in paper and kindle
Lenten Prayer Cards. These are designed to help you focus your commitment as you journey through the season of Lent.
Lord Lead Us To Repentance – A Lenten meditation video produced in 2012.
Lent is one of my favourite reflective seasons of the year. It always enriches and deepens my faith and I hope that it will do the same for you.
5 comments
Yes, I read The Mustard Seed Conspiracy when it first came out!!! and Yes, it inspired my life and became part of my
spiritual journey. Grateful for all that you two do.
Thank you
Yes, Lent is coming like a fast moving train! But we are excited in the church as we move forward. New Beginnings is the Theme for 2016 as we start our first full calendar year together. The word that came to me during study and reflection was Hope. Incorporated into that Hope is Joy and prayers for Peace as we look to the larger community and world.
Sounds good Michael – it is indeed a season of hope and new beginnings for you. How will you express that during Lent?
[…] season of hope and promise. New seeds were being planted in the expectation of abundance to come. (Christine Sine). So as you get ready to walk through Lent and look forward to the celebration of Easter this year […]