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The disciplines are 
meant to empty us 
so that the Lord 
may fill us.
Fr. Thomas McKenzie

Let us make room
 
 
Lent is a 40 day season bounded by Ash Wednesday (March 5 this year) and Easter Sunday. It draws us into the wilderness to keep company with Christ.
 
The Church has designated these days as a time of preparation - an opportunity to discipline our hearts, minds, and bodies as we anticipate the Resurrection.
 
Lent is generally characterized by community-wide participation in the "three pillars" of Lent which are drawn from Matthew 6 - prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. 
 
In the context of Lent, prayer and almsgiving naturally flow from fasting. As we tithe our money to enable ministry and we tithe our time (Sabbath) to enable worship and rest, we tithe our appetites during Lent to make space in our budget to give and in our days to pray.
 
Breathe
 
Inhale: you are my strength and shield
 
Exhale: I rest in you
 
of Psalm 28:7
Pray
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
 
Sing
Choosing a Lenten Fast
The purpose of fasting is to increase our awareness of self-erected barriers that might prevent God from acting freely in and through us.
 
To that end, consider these questions when trying to determine what you will fast from during Lent:
 
  1. When I’m tired or stressed, what things do I crave or turn to to help me relax, decompress, or escape?
  2. Do I routinely make non-essential or indulgent purchases that could be ceased for a time so that I can redirect that money to those in need?
  3. When I consider my daily routine, what are my favorite parts of my day? Do I love those things more than I love my time with the Lord?
Honest answers to these questions will likely yield an idea of what you are being called to give up for Lent.
 
Once you determine what you are giving up, ask two more questions:
  1. How could giving up this thing make more space in my life for prayer?
  2. How could giving up this thing make more space in my budget for almsgiving?
Prayerfully allow the answers to these questions to shape your plan for Lent.
 
Remember: Sundays are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent (yes, there are technically 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday).
 
Here’s why: on Sundays we gather to worship, to celebrate the resurrection and partake of the feast of communion. Sundays are for feasting – always, in every season – and so cannot be counted as part of Lenten fast.
 
Whatever you give up for Lent should be something you can enjoy on Sundays!
 
Bonus
 

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