How fluid have you been during the pandemic experience that started in 2020? How would you rate your ability to manage? Have the challenges and changes sparked reflection, growth and any type of rebirth? Or maybe the experience has been intense and ongoing, leaving you still trying to find a way out?
Below are several resources to you might turn to for some assistance with navigating or enhancing your current experience during Lent.
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,
and repenteth him of the evil. Joel 2.13
Dear Friends in Christ,
The one-year anniversary for a Canadian case of COVID-19 has come and gone, and I remember reading some wise crack remark last year about the effects of the coronavirus on our church schedules as being, “the ‘Lentiest’ Lent I ever ‘Lented’”. Terrible grammar aside, Lent during a pandemic is especially difficult. The invitation at the Ash Wednesday service reads:
“I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord,
to observe a holy Lent
by self-examination, penitence, prayer,
fasting, and almsgiving,
and by reading and meditating on the word of God.
Let us kneel before our Creator and Redeemer.”
There is a lot to unpack from this prayer petition, and we may certainly gravitate to our tried-and-true method for Lent, but first realize that this is an invitation. Usually with some prayer, a plan comes to mind for how we keep this Lent. Be conscious of the fact that these various activities, be it fasting or penitence, are there to foster growth in our own Christian faith, and that they may well become practices which we continue to integrate into our discipleship.
This year there are a lot of things to choose from, either as part of your own time-tested Lenten discipline; or maybe something from our list of activities below:
Self-examination with the Renovaré Study (from the Latin meaning to renew): a small group book study led by Fr. Chris, that will have us examining different traditions within the Christian faith. The goal is to have a balanced practice by learning what is familiar and what is unfamiliar in our spiritual knowledge. “A Spiritual Formation Workbook: Small Group Resources for Nurturing Christian Growth”, published by HarperOne, will be needed as your workbook. Sign up through the office for this Zoom study being held throughout the season of Lent, on Mondays from 10-11:30 am., or on Thursdays from 7:00-8:30 pm. Purchase book at Indigo.ca or on Amazon.
Penitence – giving up or taking on something meaningful. This is not like a fad diet that ends as soon as Easter arrives, rather it is to foster long-term change of heart.
Prayer – All of us pray in our own ways; some in less structured and some in highly structured prayer styles. You may sign up for a daily reflection from the men at the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE).
Fasting – This is not necessarily about food. By observing an environmental fast and using the Diocese of Toronto’s resource, “A Fast for the Earth: Lent 2021”, we can learn to limit our impact on the environment and be better stewards of God’s creation.
Almsgiving – How might we step-up to the challenge of providing ministry in Newmarket? Consider the call to step-up your already generous givings, by increasing them by just $2 per week – the equivalent of a medium coffee from one of your favourite coffee shops.
Reading and Meditating on God’s word – Looking at a Bible text alongside a famous painting has been one thing I have personally enjoyed doing. Sitting next to a famous painting or sculpture while reading a passage helps to bring new insight into our relationship with God and others. Loyola Press.
Obviously, there are many things we could be doing or wished we could be doing, but which the pandemic has interrupted or prevented us from doing. However, there are now many new things we are able to do that we would never have imagined doing before. Maybe it is a Zoom meeting with your favourite knitting group, or working side by side at the kitchen table with your children as they attend classes? The possibilities of a creative and restorative Lent are endless. God says the invitation is ours. Now, will we take it?
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Chris Parsons
