A Prayer for Lent, by Henri Nouwen
How often have I lived through these weeks without paying much attention to penance, fasting, and prayer? How often have I missed the spiritual fruits of the season without even being aware of it? But how can I ever really celebrate Easter without observing Lent? How can I rejoice fully in your Resurrection when I have avoided participating in your death? Yes, Lord, I have to die—with you, through you, and in you—and thus become ready to recognize you when you appear to me in your Resurrection. There is so much in me that needs to die: false attachments, greed and anger, impatience and stinginess…. I see clearly now how little I have died with you, really gone your way and been faithful to it. O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.

A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee

Ash Wednesday service went well. It was special to begin the season of lent together as a community. Earlier in the day I placed on the BBQ the palm branches from last years Palm Sunday service. Got enough ash for the service but learned that there is a store that sells ash from the palms by the bag. I will have to think about that for next year as it took about an hour to get just enough Ash from five or six branches. I don’t think I did right.

It was a neat experience to watch the branches burn and to begin thinking about the season of lent and what God has in store for the church and for God’s people. In the last church I served there were two other pastors. We usually did the imposing on one another when everyone else was imposed. As everyone was coming forward I forgot to ask someone to impose me. Sure enough a very cool elder in the church came to my aid. As I drove home I made a quick stop at the neighborhood starbucks for a hot chocalate for the wifey and as I walked up to the counter one of the baristas looks at me and than at my forehead and says, “Oh man, my mom’s going to kill me. I forgot Ash Wednesday service.”Another one says, “why didn’t you tell us?”

I smiled.

We saw the movie Amazing Grace last night. See it. Please. My favorite line of the movie, “I’m the worlds greatest sinner and Christ is the worlds greatest Savior…I hope I got that right. Anyways, see it. An old friend has helped write a book that I hope to get that will only add to helping grasp the power of this movie here.