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Well it’s Holy Week!
In all honesty i can’t say this has been the richest experience of Lent that i’ve ever had. It’s been alright. I haven’t played any iPhone games, which has been good and kept me more engaged and focused on other things. But my Lenten discipline of first things hasn’t gone very well at all. In case you missed it, the activity i call “first things” is to do my daily prayers and bible reading / devotional readings the 1st thing of everyday. And yea, i have a baby, 3 months old now and it’s nearly impossible to do anything. PERIOD. And extra impossible to do anything before i take care of him in the mornings because if i’m up i have kid duties! Which is find since mom wakes up with him during the night. So this part of my Lenten activities hasn’t gone so well but that’s alright. It’s not really about doing everything perfectly. If we could do that we wouldn’t really need the resurrection now would we.
But it’s Holy Week which means Lent is nearing completion. And Friday is near and Sunday is around the corner.
The story we participate in as followers of Jesus is so epic! I love Lent and in particular Holy Week because we have so many great opportunities to retell & relive the story!
At my church (Church of the Redeemer) we are having 4 noon time eucharist services (m-th). We will be having a Tenebrae service on Wednesday. Maundy Thursday. Good Friday service (where i will be giving one of the meditation on Jesus’ last word – i’m excited about that) and then Sunday is the big day!
It’s great to retell / relive the story!
To be reminded of of where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.
I anticipating the call and response of Sunday morning! Can’t wait!
Hoping
Erik
Tags: Lent
A week ago we started Lent, like every year we started it with Ash Wednesday.
I have 2 reflections of Ash Wednesday 2010
[Reflection #1]
JACK :: it was his first Ash Wednesday service. I carried him in my arms as i went down to get the imposition of ashes reminding me from dust i have come and to dust i will return. As i knelt to receive the ashes with my 6 week old son in arm my pastor, Father Thomas McKenzie says, “Want me to get him?” Pointing at Jack. My response was, “Sure, why not.” And ashes were applied. Kinda fitting… from ashes we came, right! And I thought the picture was AWESOME as well.
[Reflection #2]
When I lived in California my friend Nate had a boat and this got him into some really interesting situations, and sometimes he invited me along.
One of the more interesting situations was with his neighbor, well actually his neighbors friend. We will call him Bill. Bill’s dad had died and he had been sitting on his ashes for a couple years. His dad has said he wanted to have his ashes spread over the sea. Lucky enough Bill lived in Oceanside CA but he didn’t have a boat to make it happen. And this is where and Nate comes in. Apparently Bill had been talking about wanting to get rid of his dad’s ashes, probably as he and said neighbor were smoking pot in the garage, but who knows. Well Nate’s neighbor said, I know a guy who has a boat. Nate said he would do it and decided he needed backup.
So we’re in this boat and Bill is telling us about his dad and how he was actually a bastard (bill’s words now mine) for most of his life. How he wasn’t close to his, didn’t really even like him but how he somehow ended up with his ashes anyhow. He kept ranting about the negative qualities of his father and he didn’t want to end up like him. Bill made a point to tell us that neither he nor his dad were religious but he thought someone should say something “religious”. And Nate, the good friend he is, having boated us 30 min off the coast says, “Erik…” And nods his head at me. That’s called putting a friend on the spot.
So here I am, watching Bill, who i just met, let the ashes of his dead father slip through his fingers, some of them blowing into the ocean and some of them blowing back onto his shirt, wanting someone to say something “religious” about his father…
All I could think of was Ash Wednesday and “From ash we came and to ashes we will return.”
Lent is a season of self-examination, thinking about who we are and hoping that there is some way to be raised from this life of death and decay we find ourselves living every day. The struggles and the bent toward our self and our desires, Lent is the season for self-mortification so that we can somehow participate in the resurrection that we are anticipating and are preparing for, that is Easter.
I was able to tell Bill that from ashes we came and to ashes we will return. Our lives are fleeting and we only a little time in between to live well.
This Lent I am looking inward so that I can live outward as I participate in the resurrection, here and how!
Grace, peace, and ashes
Erik
For the first time in my Lenten experience I celebrated Shrove Tuesday. Some call it Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras but we celebrated it as Shrove Tuesday.,
You can read the details here (Wiki) but my community group meets on Tuesday night anyway and one of our members is from Ireland. He suggested that we do a traditional Shrove Tuesday festival, Pancakes and all.
As you can see we did!
Apparently the English used a lot of flour, butter, eggs, etc. and to get rid of them before Lent started they not only ate pancakes they had fun with them.
So that’s what we decided to do.
A GREAT way to start the Lenten season.
Feasting before fasting!
(The official word :: according the BBC)
During Lent there are many foods that some Christians – historically and today – would not eat: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods.
So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the shriving Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn’t last the forty days of Lent without going off.
The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras (’fat Tuesday’). Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour
And here’s another video for your enjoyment!
Well this year I am not giving up my social media practices like I did last year. Thank God! This year I am giving up something way more pointless that consumes WAY to much of my time. Games.
(This is my phone :: LOTS of apps, most of them really stupid games)
(MY CONFESSION)
Games on my phone primarily, but the computer, PS2 and things like that. But primarily games that I play on my phone. I have WAY to many games / apps on my phone (as you can see above :: and yes, it’s a little embarrassing) . If there is ever a still moment in my day I am usually playing one them. Even when I am sitting on the pot (sorry for the horrible mental picture there) but even then I am probably playing a game on my phone. Most nights before I go to bed I play a game or two, although lately I’ve tried to start reading instead. But yea, you get my point, this distraction is way to prevalent in my life… So for Lent I will be giving up games.
For my Lenten practices I have made it a point to give something up and take something on. Last year I took on what I called “The principle of first things” with the idea being that the first thing I do everyday of the Lenten season would be to read, pray, and most importantly spend time with Jesus. I plan on doing that again.
So part of my confession here is that I spend way to much time on my phone, and that I far to often push my spiritual life aside to be productive and/or distracted. This Lent I hope to journey into a death of these things so that my soul can be raised to life with Jesus on Easter Sunday.
In part, Lent is a journey of the cross that culminates in a participation in the resurrection.
I look forward to resurrection.
But first, [ LENT ]
Grace and peace,
Prayer and fasting,
Erik
Some of my previous Lenten posts that remind me of my journey…
Lenten practices and my wandering mind…
LENT :: a practice in fasting
Tags: Lent
Well I have TONS of stuff to blog about! Which often becomes the case in my blogging adventures. So I am giving you a list O blog stuff…
.:: LENT
Lent was really good for me this year. It’s kinda hard to say “lent was good” because in nature it’s a hard, self denying, kinda time but in context Lent was good this year.
I don’t really have a list of “things I learned” but I can testify to the fact that I grew during this time of Lent. I think the goal of self-denial for me is purge certain desires and grow in others. My goal in taking on something is to cultivate new desires and spiritual rhythms. I think God help this to happen in my life. And the goal in self denial is decrease my desire for other things. I also think God help this to happen in my life as well. So… Lent was good!
.:: Holy Week
Holy week was really busy, with church stuff and other stuff. But like Lent it was really good. Our church (Redeemer Nashville) had TONS of stuff going on, everyday pretty much. And things we were able to participate in were really rich, really meaning, just really good! And our Easter service was the best Easter service I have been to in a long while. The Spirit was incredibly evident, the liturgy was beautiful and the message was solid. No alter call but I let that one slide. 
.:: 1 year
Andrea and I hit our 1 year of marriage milestone! VICTORY!!! At first I didn’t think the 1 year mark would be that big of a deal but I wrong! This has been a hard year for both Andrea and i. LOTS of crap has gone on and lots of stress has come our way. And did I mention it was our first year of marriage. Toss all that into the mix and you come out with a pretty challenging year. Probably one of the hardest years of my life. But I have very thankful to have had my beautiful wife along side of me through it. I’m not sure what I would have done without her! She has been a HUGE blessing and encouragement for me. Like I said, I am very thankful!
.:: Chicago
For our anniversary Andrea and I went to Chicago! It was amazing! Some pictures of our room are posted on fackbook and flickr! I went on Priceline and did the name your own price action, $75 bucks for a 4 star hotel right on Michigan Ave. can’t beat that! Did I mention it was AWESOME!!! The only thing that sucked was that we ended up having to pay $50 a night for parking. Almost as much as the room! That’s kinda killed our budget for the weekend but it was awesome anyway!
We did a little shopping (heaven for andrea) We did a lot of eating (heaven for me) and we did even more walking! Chicago is the best city in the US hands down. Admittedly there are a couple cities I haven’t been to but I doubt they beat Chicago!
Happy anniversary to us! I have posted some pics on my flickr and fackbook, check em’ out!
.:: Good Shepard Lutheran Youth Retreat
I was able to spend last weekend with the students from Good Shepard Lutheran Church, RENEW was the retreat, spiritual rhythm was the topic. I thought it went really well. It was Andrea’s first retreat with me. AWESOME!
.:: The Loop Nashville
I spoke at young adult gathering here in Nashville a couple weeks ago, The Loop Nashville. It was really fun! I am hoping for the opportunity to do that more often. The Loop is a great place and I would really love to plug in there from time to time on Monday night. So, if you around Nashville on a Monday night you should come check it out! The Loop Nashville -or- myspace/theloopnashville
Tags: anniversary, Chicago, Easter, holy week, Lent, preaching, Retreat, speaking, Vaction
When i was growing up my church would also do this little response action on Easter Sunday.
One person would come up to you and say
“HE HAS RISEN”
and your response was to say,
“HE HAS RISEN INDEED”
SO…
HE HAS RISEN!
(i am hoping my church follows suite today!)
Grace, peace and resurrection!
Erik
Tags: Easter
The space in-between my ears in really loud! Can anybody else attest to this?
I wake up in the morning wanting to recite the Lord Prayer and spend a little time with Jesus, during Lent I have even said that I would commit to spending time with God first thing (i am calling it the principal of first things :: first things first!) so before I turned on my phone, eat breakfast, checked my email… before anything else I spend some time reading my bible and praying, this was my “taking on” activity of Lent. But dang is my gray matter loud!
So many streams of thought, items I need “to do” that day, people I need to email, idea I have for ministry… the list could go on and on,, my mind is constantly full of STUFF // random thoughts!
If I were I honest I would confess that it’s hard to pray without getting distracted. If I were honest I would admit that it’s really hard to read my bible for long periods of time with out needing to add items to my “to do” list or thinking of people I need to call. If I were really honest I would confess that I never spent time with God without being distracted and/or interrupted by my wandering mind.
Yea, I have certain “tricks” I use to focus and center my heart and mind but it’s so freaken hard!
Am I alone?
Does anybody else’s busy mind and shouting thoughts get in their way of the kind of personal prayer and devotion life they really want?
For me this is one of the reasons Lent has been extra beneficial to me this year.
To say the least I AM PLUGGED IN!
This isn’t always bad but it sure can be distracting. So the goal of my Lenten activities this year has been giving up some of my social addictions (facebook, VIRB, twitter, etc.) and taking on the practice of first things… doing this in an attempt to cultivate the kind of spiritual life I hope to grow into.
But it sure ain’t easy!
So Lent has been really good and really enlightening. It has made me think I need to continue the practice of first things and be more intentional about being less plugged in and more connected to God and real life people.
But I sure am anticipating resurrection Sunday!
Grace and peace
Erik
Lent means a lot of things to a lot of people, to me it has meant for the past 4 or 5 years that i have practiced LENT a practice in prayer and fasting among other things.
I will further dive into my understand of LENT but i thought i would post a few helpful // interesting Lent Links that might help you get started!
First off, of course…
Wiki LENT
This is Wikipedia info on Lent. A good read with some helpful information.
Next is ehow LENT
a nice little “how to” for the beginning Lent observer.
One of my biggest question is always, “What should i fast from this year”.
In case you didn’t know, during Lent one gives up (fasts) or takes on certain things.
This is Yahoo answer :: what to fast from during Lent
Some interesting answers indeed; sweets, religion, computers, TV, and my personal favorite Lent als. To name a few.
I do believe this year i will be giving up my social media networks.
No facebook, twitter, VIRB, myspace, etc, etc.
i might go through withdrawals but i think it will be good for me.
I also plan on taking up the discipline of reading and praying everyday, first things.
Most every day i read and pray but most everyday it’s after breakfast, after some computer time, after whatever else. Often i even roll over and check my email via my beautiful iPhone and then play a game or to. Nerd, i know…
So the plan is to pray and read my bible first thing.
Here are some links to other who are fasting from social media.
and i thought i was the only one!
The facebook link to the social media fast group.
a funny concept if you really think about it.
A little article on Social networking fast :: from the marketing shift
This was another interesting fast i found while googling around.
Interesting :: The carbon fast
Peace and fasting!
Erik
Tags: lectionary, Lent
Well in the Christian calendar the first Sunday in advent is the first Sunday on the Calendar. In all honesty I have never really adjusted to this and as much as I mentally understand this I don’t “feel” it. It just doesn’t feel like the new year yet.
I don’t know about you but I look forward to beginnings. Beginnings are time to forget the past and push into a new day, to grow into a new reality.
I look forward to Mondays because it’s a beginning. (and for all you people who are really Christian… I know, I know, Sunday is really the first day of the week. Or if you live by the Orthodox calendar it’s the 8th day or something like that. Tricky.) But besides all that, Sunday for me is more of a neutral day for pray and reflection, repentance and forgiveness. For me Sunday leads to Monday, a fresh day and a fresh week
And if any of you are like me — if I have said I am going to do something :: read my bible every day this week or run a mile, do 10 push-ups every day this week, anything like that — the first day I fail to do my purposed routine I give up and say, “I’ll start again next week…”
I am always looking forward the first day of the week.
The same goes for the first day of the month. Or the first day of the year.
And if I could get my mind and body wrapped around the Christian calendar instead of my iCal then I would realize we are there, it’s the new year!
Logically this brings up all kinds of issues for me. The anticipation, the Jesus thing, etc… I feel like the year should all start after that. I feel like advent puts me in a state of need, wanting, anticipation because our story tells us that the Christ has not been born yet. but we know he’s coming. But this is the kind of double advent we experience. His birth and also his coming again.
I’m confusing myself. Sorry…
The short story is that the new year has started.
At church we have been encouraged to do some advent practices. Similar to Lenten practices of penitence, almsgiving and self-denial but for advent. I think I am going to do a thing or two but I’m still praying about.
Anyway… happy new year!
I will be tossing up some advent thoughts here and there so stay tuned.
Tags: advent