Welcome to Lent,
The opening of week six.
These meditations are an opportunity for us to stay connected to the Lenten season all week,
Not just Sundays,
And think about Lent in the context of our everyday lives.
We have an opening and closing meditation for each week of Lent.
My name is Jess,
And I have engaged Lent in everything from giving up physical things like sugar or alcohol,
To giving up character issues like sarcasm and negativity,
To not engaging Lent much at all.
So these times are meant to take the focus off of the transaction of giving something up for religious duty,
But engaging the season as a time of spiritual growth and renewal.
To start,
Let's take five big breaths.
The science behind mindfulness practice is fascinating.
We are training our brain to be better at reacting to stressors and to recover from stress when we experience it.
It sharpens focus,
And over time,
Makes us more compassionate,
And has positive impact on relationships and mental health.
This is good for slowing down whenever we feel the need,
And especially preparing for prayer.
Really,
The potential is to be more mindful in every aspect of our lives.
So feel yourself breathe for just one minute,
And try to be particularly mindful to feel your body as you breathe.
I hope that was calming to your body.
If your mind went to other places just now,
Or happens throughout this time,
That's okay,
It's natural.
You're still here,
So let's move on.
Take a moment and identify where has God been recently?
Think about the last day or two,
Maybe the last 24 hours.
In community or alone,
In joy or in struggle,
Where has God been lately?
One of the most interesting things in the gospel stories is just how profoundly Jesus' closest followers did not understand what he was trying to communicate.
This is no more apparent than when he tells them he's going to Jerusalem to be killed.
At times,
He said it plainly,
And they still didn't or couldn't believe him.
It begs the question of us,
What mysteries exist for our faith?
What unanswered questions are we bringing in to this Lenten season?
So if you're able,
Extend your arms out or turn your palms up,
Or rest your palms up on your lap.
We do this in a posture of release to the creator.
Let's take a moment to reflect on what questions you have for God in this season of your life and spiritual journey.
In Jesus' Lenten journey,
He released his cares to the creator.
He released his friends to the Holy Spirit,
And ultimately,
His life to God's will.
In this Lenten season,
We focus on the scars on Jesus' hands.
God,
We place into those hands our very lives.
We live with a finite mind and are doing our best in this world with so much that we cannot know.
Our lives are outside of our control,
So they are yours.
It is so healthy to release things we cannot control,
But in releasing,
What are we needing to take on in that space?
As you close your hands,
What accompanying assurances do you need around the questions you have at this stage of your life and journey?
We exchange the need for clarity or answers with the reality of faith.
We understand our dust-ness,
So we commend the days of our lives to you.
We hold loosely the cares of this world in exchange for the assurance of your presence.
God,
We receive the sacrifice of Christ and all that it offers as liberation to the world and to our hearts.
The great spiritual writers in the Christian tradition often maintained that prayer's role is to change us on the inside as preparation for active lives lived in the world.
Our final time of silence is to spend a minute deciding on small steps of living in Talent this year or reviewing any commitments you may have made.
If your questions do not have answers,
How do you live in faith of an invisible and often silent God?
Spend a final time of silence before the sacrificed Christ in a posture of receiving the grace of not knowing.
Amen.
We would welcome you to join us for more guided prayers during this season of Lent.
