Mindful Use

Beloved:

Welcome to Lent!  I also call it the season of the overflowing recycling bin ~ because of the dozens of worship services I write, rewrite, and revise over the weeks until Easter.  This year I’m giving up what I’m called mindless waste in favor of mindful use.  Exactly how much use can I get from one sheet of paper? one plastic bag?  one magazine?  The idea is to use mindfullly . . . . to practice paying attention ALL the time.  I have the idea it might teach me about time itself, that whatever I am doing - I am using using up the minutes and hours of time that add up to the gift which is life itself.   

Whatever else Lenten practice ought be ~ it ought be practical.  Toward that end I have a web link to share with you that offers daily Lenten practices in fasting*praying*giving.  Here is their description:  “Traditionally, Lent was a time for personal conversion leading up to Easter, during which Christians practiced the spiritual disciplines of fasting, praying and almsgiving to strip away all that is unnecessary and become more mindful of their ultimate dependence on God. Let’s recapture the true meaning of Lent in ways that are actually relevant to your life. Each day throughout Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday, the calendar’s link for that day will become active, revealing a Daily Jolt for spiritual contemplation relating to Lent, and new and practical ideas for fasting, prayer and almsgiving.”  I love that the calendar won’t let us read ahead, which encourages the dailiness of the practice.  Here’s the site ~ http://bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give-2013.

Ash Wednesday service is tonight at 7 p.m.  I hope to see you there.  peace & prayers, pastor annette