Palm Sunday 2010

lent begins

Yesterday, a friend said to me, "You're not writing anything on your blog. You're just slapping your picture of the day up there every day." Yes, yes I am. And now I've slapped a picture up here 17 more times than I thought I would. We'll see how long it lasts.

Truth be told, I am writing, just not writing blog fodder. But, as I have taken on a daily writing practice for Lent, a few words may make their way over here.

Great Ash Wednesday service at House tonight, complete with chanting Psalm 51, a powerful Confession and Absolution, imposition of ashes, and two songs of my childhood- Just As I Am & Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling. I took a few, a very few, photos before the service began, but that was it. Seemed a bit imposing to be skirting around the periphery with my camera tonight.

photo of the day - feb 17

ash wednesday

Ash Wednesday at House For All Sinners and Saints

7p Wednesday 2-17

imposition of ashes::Eucharist::liturgy

501 Bannock

join us for Fat Tuesday at The Thin Man

potpourri

- Work has been quite demanding this week in a lot of ways, so not much coming out on the creative front.

- I'll get back to posting Holy Week stuff this weekend. Still have photos from Easter Vigil to clean up, as well as some thoughts about my experience with Lent and Holy Week.

- Feeling sad tonight at the loss of a dear childhood/college friend, Gregg Fulkerson. Gregg was among the most talented people to come out of my hometown. He was an amazing, extremely talented singer-songwriter/musician who will be missed by many. My heart goes out to his entire family, especially his son, Carter. He was one of those people that I've known my entire life. While I love living in Colorado, it's times like these I wish I was back in The South.

- Chances are as great as not that I'll begin my day shoveling show tomorrow. Wet, heavy snow.

- Off to bed in hopes of starving a cold that is lurking.

- Weekend, come quickly.

consolation prize

Especially during this season of Lent, my wants seem so ridiculous at times. Jesus died on the cross and all I can think about is how bad I want a frickin' cupcake. Then along comes my organic produce delivery, a little consolation prize. Like a tiny nod to my even giving thought to the contrast.

holy week?

It's Holy Week, but it feels anything but to me. Thursday will be the first day of spring. Yet my heart feels it is the dead of winter. As the week progresses towards Spy Wednesday and Maundy Thursday, on to Good Friday, I wonder, "will I be able to feel the goodness of it under a cloak of grief?" May it be so, even for a few tiny seconds.

lent...week three

Keep us alive with three square meals.

bread of life

lent...week two

This morning I was reading the Lord's Prayer in different translations.

Really like The Message:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

And Rob Lacey's Word on the Street, which is a contemporary retelling of Scripture, UK style:

God in heaven, you're our Dad.
We respect everything you stand for. We want others to.
Please bring heaven on earth: people living life your way, like the angels do.
Please bring us what we need to keep us going each day.
Please acquit us, as we cancel our grievances and throw them all away.
Please pull us back from the edge of evil, if we're falling or being thrown.
'Cos you're all that matters; you're able to do it and you're to take the credit.
You're on your own.
It's your throne.
Absolutely!

lent...week one

I'm going to follow Urban Skye Soul's schedule the next few weeks as I camp out with the Lord's prayer. This week's focus: Our Father who is in heaven hallowed be Your name.

I unexpectedly had a chance to read some of my book on Lectio Divina this afternoon -when I was at the shop getting my car diagnosed after the sunroof would not close. Still won't. Cold ride home. Putting it in the shop tomorrow. All this to say, good use of time since that book was still in my bag.

In searching for some resources to help me dig into this first phrase, I came across some great resources in Sylvia Gunter's Prayer Portions book. I'm starting with the 'Alphabet of the Father Heart of God', and then the section called, 'Listening to Your Father: Waiting on God To Know His Will in Prayer and His Word.' Sylvia is a friend of some of my mentors in Birmingham, and I can honestly say that if I could only have one book on prayer, this would be it.

creativity and lent

While researching ideas for our Urban Skye Ash Wednesday Labyrinth, I came across a great idea in New Zealand. Cityside Community has a project going called The Desert Files.

The whole idea is to make a creative product in the medium of your choice, using the period of Lent as your time parameter. You are encouraged to use a prayer practice, and to keep a record of your process as you go along. At Cityside, the culmination is an art exhibit.

I've decided to use their outline and do something similar.

Here are the basic steps they have laid out:

One...Choose one of the last sayings of Jesus from the cross. This will be your theme or starting place for your work. I am going to use The Lord's Prayer as my guide, as Urban Skye is using The Lord's Prayer as our Lenten text this year.

Two...Consider the media of your final project. For me, this will include photography - digital, medium format, Polaroid. Maybe all three. And possibly collage.

Three...Choose a prayer path that you will explore during Lent. They suggest Centering Prayer, Ignatian Visualization, Lectio Divina, or Body Prayer. I decided that this would be a good time for me to actually read Tony Jones' book on Lectio Divina, Divine Intervention: Encountering God Through the Ancient Practice of Lectio Divina, which has been riding around in my Timbuk2bag for most of February.

Four...Choose how you will record your Lenten process. Suggestions: Photos, written journal, sketching, rapid sculpting. The purpose of the recording practice is to help integrate your prayer practice with your reflections on the stimulus, your original theme, and your final creative work. It will come as no surprise to those that know me well that a trusty Moleskine will document my work.

It was interesting to me that they made a point of stating that your process record is part of your completed work. Something I need to keep in mind as I go along.

So, that's my Lenten plan. Make art. Use a prayer practice consistently. Record it all.