Lent 2010 Around the Blogosphere (updated)

Update: there is now a Lent category at Anglican Mainstream.  You’ll find Anglican Mainstream’s  daily Lenten devotionals here.

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The roundup below is listed in alphabetical order by blog, not in order of priority.

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At Awakenings, my Lutheran pastor friend Eric Swensson (aka the Pietist) posted a great prayer last week on the theme of Christ’s transfiguration and praying that His light would shine in the darkness of our hearts.  I like it as a Lenten prayer. Eric usually has lots of good devotional material, so well worth bookmarking his site for Lent.

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Orthodox priest and blogger Fr. Stephen Freeman has a number of recent posts in preparation for Lent at his wonderful blog Glory to God for All Things.

The Instinct of Repentance (This probably will form the basis for a stand alone entry here soon)

The Great Fast (I’m likely to post an excerpt from this tomorrow.)

A Sermon on Repentance (after St. John Chrysostom)

By the Waters of Babylon (a traditional Orthodox Lenten-season hymn)

Also, this morning I’ve reposted a previous Lenten reflection from Fr. Stephen “The Difficulty of Lent” from our old blog’s archives.

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Christine Sine at Godspace today has posted Morning and Evening Prayers for Lent.

Godspace will be hosting a Lenten blog series:  Walking with Jesus to the Cross: How Do We Follow You can find all of Godspace’s Lent posts here. A few other notable entries:

A lovely reflection from last week about how Lent is like the season of winter – preparing us for new growth & fruitfulness:  God working underground

Getting Ready for Lent – What Could You Give Up For Haiti

Thinking About Lent – suggested resources

Mustard Seed Associates’ Lenten Reflection Guide “A Journey Into Wholeness”

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At Irenic Thoughts, Episcopal priest Frank Logue has a good overview of Lent and links to helpful resources which we’ve linked here in the past:  Prepare Now For the Joy of Easter. His Lent category is here.

Frank Logue’s final Lent post for 2009 was George Herbert’s poem “Lent,” from which I love this stanza:

Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone,
Is much more sure to meet with him, than one
That travelleth by-ways:
Perhaps my God, though he be far before,
May turn and take me by the hand, and more:
May strengthen my decays.

The spiritual disciplines of Lent can be hard and painful, but are oh so worth it if they help us to meet with Christ and be renewed and transformed by His strength.

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Kingdom People is a great blog by a Baptist pastor, Trevin Wax, who “gets” Lent and often posts wonderful prayers and devotional materials.  He hasn’t yet posted anything specifically for Lent that I’ve noticed, but I strongly encourage you to bookmark his prayer category.  Quite a few of the prayers he has posted in recent months will be showing up here during Lent.  (I hope he doesn’t mind!!  My blogging time and internet access are both so limited, raiding his prayer collection was a great way to get a lot of Lenten devotional posts prepared quite easily.)

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Dean Rick Lobs at the Lobster Pot has a nice post explaining Shrove Tuesday.

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As we’ve posted separately, over at Northern Plains Anglicans, Fr. Tim Fountain will be posting daily Lenten reflections.  This is sure to be must reading!  Details and an introduction to the series here.

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Over at On a Joyful Journey, Amy has a wonderful post “Looking to Lent.”  I like how she describes the juxtaposition of despair and hope that Ash Wednesday can bring:

“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” p. 265 BCP

These words frightened me as a child. Then, I just wasn’t capable of understanding the big picture that comes with Christ’s sacrifice for our redemption. Yes, I am dust – really nothing except for who I am in Jesus Christ. Jesus, who came to earth to die for me and you so that we may know eternal life in Him.

Now, these words bring me joy, a subdued joy, but joy nonetheless. As I mature and can better understand just how much His life, suffering and death mean for humanity, I am awed at just how much God loves us. We don’t deserve salvation as wicked, sinful creatures but it is ours! How grateful I am for the Holy Eucharist that follows the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday!

Read her whole post for her thoughts on Lenten disciplines and a Lenten reading list.  Here’s her blog’s Lent category.

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Amy’s blog Splendour in the Ordinary is always a source of wonderful encouragement and inspiration in celebrating the Church Year. I just posted a lovely Lenten prayer for an undivided heart from her blog a few days ago. Be sure to bookmark her Lent category.

Today her posts include: A Lenten Hymn playlist, and a helpful post (with pancake recipes!) for Shrove Tuesday, which also includes ideas for Ash Wednesday activities for families.

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Tara’s Story-Formed blog was one of my favorite blogs in 2008-2009 for liturgically-themed reflections. There have been no new posts at the blog since Christmas, however, so I don’t know if Tara will do any Lenten blogging.  (Lent does bring some of us bloggers out of hibernation, it seems, as I am finding from personal experience!) Just in case Tara begins blogging again, or to enjoy her wonderful posts from Lent 2009, here is the link to the Lent category.

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At Ten O’Clock Scholar, Kerry has been blogging this week about how their family will fast this Lent. Here are some ideas she shares about fasting:

• Fasting in community helps us keep our commitments.
• The apostles (and Jesus) fasted from food (rather than scroll-reading or sheep-tipping), so we are following their lead – always a wise thing.
• Learning to control our appetite (for food) is a good training ground for learning to control our other passions
• Plan the meal for the weakest member and those who wish to fast more strictly can do so.

See here:  Family Fasting for Lent (which has lots of helpful resources on fasting) and Lenten Meal Plan 2/17-2/21.

I like the idea she shares of having the kids make “Alleluia Banners” (for Easter) as part of their Shrove Tuesday celebration, and then “burying” them for Lent.

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Over at Transfigurations, my friend Pat Dague, who has so often blessed us with her devotionals over the years, has had two devotional posts from Frederick Buechner and Francois Fenelon, which have seemed to me excellent preparations for Lent… helping stir up our longings for the Lord’s work in transforming our hearts.  I’ll probably “steal” both of them at some point later in Lent to include them as part of our Lent quotes series, but for now, go to Pat’s blog and be blessed by them!

Frederick Buechner:  Christ’s Love Sees Us With Terrible Clarity

Francois Fenelon:  Look to Him for Gladness & Refreshment

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For several years here I have regularly linked Victor Hoagland’s prayers at the Passionist website during Advent & Lent.  Over at Victor’s blog, Victor’s place, there’s a nice meditation on Ash Wednesday. “Ash Wednesday and Mystical Death” (Here’s a short excerpt):

On Ash Wednesday, ashes are placed on our foreheads in the form of a cross and some simple words are said: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

A reminder we will die. Yet, so much more is said in this brief symbolic act. A daily mystical death is also taking place within us. Our physical life will end, the ashes tell us;  the day and hour are unknown. But ashes in the form of a cross tell us Jesus Christ changes death. “Dying, you destroyed our death. Rising, you restored our life.” Jesus Christ has made his risen life ours. Though his gift is hidden, we will experience it when we enter his glory.

The whole entry is worth a read.  I may post more from it tomorrow…

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Phew, that’s a pretty long roundup.  I’m sure there’s so much more I could post.  If I can, I’ll do a few more “Lent around the blogosphere” roundups this week.

May Lent 2010 be a season of great spiritual growth, renewal and transformation into Christ’s image for us all.

Karen B.