Hello –
How will you observe Lent this year? It is the Anglican tradition to do something different to mark the season. Here are three things we’re encouraging at St. Paul’s.
Fast From Contempt. Contempt has leaked into our culture and politics in a big way in the last two years. It comes from the top when our presidential candidates dismiss citizens as a basket of deplorables or imitate a handicapped reporter. It comes from the right with Tea Party bombast and from the left with progressive snark. Let us, this Lent, fast from all of that. I imagine it might mean changing our consumption of media. It certainly means taking a careful look at the narratives that run through our minds about other people, especially ones we disagree with. Let us this Lent, in all humility, fast from treating our neighbors as objects to be dismissed.
Create a Good Legacy. Chloe will be leading a Sunday series to help us all prepare for a holy death. The first Sunday afternoon of Lent, March 5th, is a Death Cafe from 4pm to 6pm. Every subsequent Sunday there will be a session from 11:30am to 12:30pm on topics like legacy letters, planning your funeral, a good will and health care directives. Leave those you love the gift of a well planned death.
Discipleship. There are two paths this Lent for Discipleship. For those not yet in a Discipleship Group I will be leading groups of three to five in Basic Discipleship. Saturday morning is one time that nearly always works. This is where I coach you in daily prayer, help you find your spiritual voice, and model healthy small group dynamics. It is the best path into a Discipleship Group.
For those in a Discipleship Group, please make every effort to come to a mini-retreat on Saturday, March 11th from 9am to 12:30pm. The morning will be facilitated by the Rev. Ann Hallisey who is a consultant and the Dean of students at our local seminary, CDSP. This morning of conversation is essential preparation as we look to host the PrayWorshipServe retreat in February of 2018. Up to forty people from around the country will be looking to all of us to learn about Discipleship Groups. Come and learn all that we already have to teach. Let’s discover together the things we can work on in the next year to make the retreat even better.
Finally, as always, there is the PrayWorshipServe Lenten Challenge: 20 minutes a day of prayer, an hour a week of worship and an hour a week of service. Go to PrayWorshipServe.com to sign up.
Ash Wednesday is March 1st. Services are at 7:30am, Noon and 6:30pm.
Blessings,
Christopher
p: (415) 456-4842