Lenten Journey 2005- What is it?

INTRO: Why daily practice of reading The Lord's Prayer, Apostle's Creed, and Ten commandments? How the heck is that supposed to help?

(for short form scroll to bottom)

Lent is a period of repentance. To repent means to turn around. It means to purposely do something different in the hope that through our actions, we will encounter God. It is the hope in the Good News of Jesus Christ that we are forgiven and received. Through such forgiveness we can enter deeper into God's Love.

Even if you are unsure about the preceeding statement don't sweat it. Not believing is no reason for not trying. Take up this practice with an open mind and see where you are after Lent.

For some it will be way to deepen faith. For others it may just be the invitation to come and see. Trust that results will follow. Regardless of where you stand in your beliefs, we believe there is no coincidence in your reading this at this particular time. If you are reading this blog it is your invitation to a Lenten Discipline for 2005. It is our hope that you will join with us.

We don't necessarily have your answers but we look forward to moving forward with you.

The great Christian Luther believed that Christians should spend time every day reading and meditating on The Ten Commandments, The Lord's Prayer, and the Apostle's Creed (See Post- Daily Readings).* For Lent 2005 we will strive to keep this penance in the hope of greater awareness and greater love in our Christian Communities. We act because we are inclined to know Christ better. Ultimately isn't that the point? It is not to become better writers! We act in spite of our doubts and misgivings in the hope of knowing the Living God. So we make a commitment to do something different for forty days.

That invitation is to try prayer, read the readings and write honestly.We are inviting you to check in daily and leave a reflection on something that you connectedwith from these cornerstones of Christian Faith. (See Post -How to Use BLOG Lenten Journey 2005-Suggestions for Daily Writing)This is a meditation we can share with others. We believe that it is the discipline of continual daily contact that will produce the greatest connection not the depth or beauty of any particular daily written reflection. Even if you miss a day, a week, a month, come back and start again. No one will be counting.(Continue on the journey with Post- Daily Readings)

Short Form:
Have open mind
Read Daily readings
Leave a post as reflection
Repeat for 40 days
(every day but Sunday's February 9 through March 27th 2005)

The Daily Readings

The Daily Readings- If you don't have your own copy or access to The Lord's Prayer, Apostle's Creed, and The Ten Commandments, you can read them by linking back to Lenten Journey 2005 and then clicking on Link Daily Readings Site.

Feel free to copy and save Readings to word program on your own PC. However, you might be more willing to reflect in a Post or comment by going to Lenten Journey 2005 daily, reading the Readings on Daily Readings Site, and then returning to Lenten Journey 2005 to leave your Post.

Remember don't keep your light under a bushel! Your reflection might make a world of difference to another.

(Of course, then again it may not. The point of all this however is that we are seeking to be encounterd through the the daily practice not in the wisdom of any particular days reflection).

How to use the BLOG Lenten Journey 2005

Or I've received an invitation now what do I do?
(Short form: Scroll down to 7)

It's amazing what you can learn when you start doing something. For example, there is a huge gap between knowing what a Blog (Web Log) is and actually being able to navigate it. As I've stumbled around creating this thing I've learned a few things. Hopefully the same will happen as we stumble around the readings on a daily basis. That being neither here nor there let's try to make navigation of this thing a tad easier.

How to use this Blog (or any blog for that matter):
1. By being invited and accepting, you are a member. This means you can leave posts as little or as much as you want. A post is simply a addition to the writings that appear on the left side of the screen. The last on added will appear at the top of the left column. (The last will be first and the first will be last.)

2. A list of Previous Posts appears on the right hand side of the screen. Click on Lenten Journey 2005, Daily Readings, Suggestions for Daily Writing, and Rules to discover what this Blog is all about.

3. Members have an account and a link to this Blog. To create a Post click on Create. Title it and then write. Make sure to publish post when you are finished.

4. A comment is different than a Post. After leaving a Post look at the bottom of your post and you will see a "comment" link. By clicking on "comment" a person can respond to the post.

4. The only person who can invite members to join is scottpetersen. If you would like to join or you would like to invite someone to join go to profile on Lenten Journey 2005 and send email. If you have a friend, a family member, a church friend, or all three that you would like invited to become members send me an email their email address. I will send them an invitation.

5. Anonymous comments are allowed by any person even those who stumble upon Lenten Journey 2005 in passing. If you have stumbled upon the blog and would like to join us please go to profile and send an email. If you are not from Virginia Theological Seminary or St. Benedict's Parish please let us know where you are from.

6. Blogs are not all that hard to create. If you don't like this one create your own. If you have a blog already and want to be linked simply go to profile and send an email. If it fits with the spirit of this I will gladly list it.7. The best way to learn is to try some things to see how this all works. If I can figure it out you certainly can.(To continue on with journey see Post- Suggestions for Daily Writing)

Suggestions for Daily Writing

A beginning can only be begun.

If you have not been bored yet and want to start, link back to Lenten Journey 2005 and begin. The Blog is yours.

If you want some suggestions read on:

The first suggestion is that I have no suggestion as to what you should write.

My suggestion is only to write.

My other suggestion is that as a practice try to write every day. Sunday's are not Lent so take a writing Sabbath. I certainly will.

What to write?

What I'm planning on doing will be to take some time in prayer and then read the readings. I will most likely try to write in the morning before the family gets going. Whatever jumps out at me will be what I write about.For example if "Daily Bread" is what I'm drawn to I may reflect how this year I've had to trust in daily bread a whole lot more. I found out I would rather have 10 year bread with dividends. Daily bread it is! God is wonderfully efficient. Not always comfortable but he shows up. I might also write how "Daily Bread" is showing up in ASIA after the Tsunami. If a little more critical of myself I might reflect on why when I have received more than my share and cling tightly to it I may very well be limiting someone else's daily bread.

Be free enough to be honest with yourself.

This is for you so write your questions and doubts. Be creative. Be challenged. Wonder.

Maybe you want to write a word, (a sentence, a paragraph, a page )each day on a commandment. Maybe you will just check in. It really is up to you.

I can not overemphasize that this is a practice.

I will however remind that the more you put into it the more you may receive.Last year I felt called to spend the 12 days leading up to Christmas in the Nativity Story. It was a great experience because by making a commitment to write everyday it helped me explore Christmas at a new depth. Where before I believed the stories simply potential additions to build up the Gospel I began to see the Covenant and was amazed at how congruent the Nativity is with the Old Testament.

For me it was a spiritual break through. I would not have discovered that if it were not for the action and the discipline.This is a discipline and if you are anything like me you are not very good at it. I'm not. I get all fired up and then three days later I get "busy". The one benefit to creating all this and then inviting persons to join is that this is probably the best way to remain accountable. If I stop writing certainly some may notice.I'm not a big fan of being accountable. It can be taxing. But I have also found that by taking on a commitment I'm more likely to follow through. So make a commitment.

If your more daring invite a person or more than one to do this with you. Better yet decide to meet once a week to discuss the practice. Have a meal. Ask the dangerous but exciting question, where is God leading us?

Dare to believe that God is real and that by taking some time to be with Him, he'll show up.(Continue the journey with Post- Rules)

The few rules about Lenten Journey 2005

1. There are few.

2. If you would like to invite someone to this Lenten practice feel free to do so. Simply click on email address under profile or email me directly at spetersen@vts.edu. Invitations to become a member of blog will be extended through March 26th. (11th hour rule applies.)

3. This is a practice. What is written on this Blog should come more from the heart than the head. I'm not suggesting that we should leave our head at the door but that the goal of the blog is a daily practice. It is not to be "theologically, philosophically, and doctrinally" correct. It's to reflect.Please check your motives if you comment on a post. If a Post or Comment seeks to "educate" or "fix" another members understanding it runs the risk of being deleted. I'm not suggesting that truth is relative but what someone writes (and myself for that matter) is how they understand something that moment. The point of this Blog is in the practice of daily encounter not the responses themselves.

4. Any comments or Posts that appear to be out of the context with the spirit of the Lenten Practice may be deleted at the discression of the Blog Host. It is my prayer that this will never be enacted.