I have to admit I would be reluctant to blog for 40 days on my chosen discipline, so I admire her for taking on the challenge.
What are you doing, if anything, as a discipline for Lent? And how's it going? I hope you'll share in the comments, or if you are doing something similar to Sophie's Child, leave us a link.
*And if you're wondering about the rule, we established it several years ago after a run of new members who quit blogging shortly after they began. We ended up with a sidebar full of dead links and a big administrative headache!
I don't think I have ever been first-wow! I have decided not to give up, but take on. I have decided to use all of the prayer times in Phyllis Tickle's Divine Hours. I never realized how chaotic days were til I tried to be more faithful than just morning and end of day prayer. I also just got back from a weekend silent retreat which was a further venture into contemplative prayer which I have begun posting about over at my place.
ReplyDeleteThat's a discipline I tried one Lent, 3 or 4 years ago, and I agree, it pointed up how much my life was out of my control!
ReplyDeleteMy practice is a continuation of my New Year's resolution, to make less of my own drama. I have a lot of ways of doing it, so it's truly a daily practice to be aware of the preparation and persistence required to dial things down purposefully.
To follow up on what Sophie's Child is doing, I haven't given up social media, but I have moved some things around in my house, shifting my home workspace from the kitchen to the sunroom. It's my husband's computer space, but he is away for most of the next three months. I don't know how well it will work when he returns; we have separate spaces within the room, certainly, but we'll have to see how we get along when we both want to be in here! (Hmm, don't make more drama...)
Anyway, with the laptop out of the hub of the house, I'm spending less time on it, and therefore less time on Facebook, Twitter, etc. This has meant more time spent reading actual books, which I like, though I do miss the more frequent points of contact with some friends I don't see in person.
I am working on being healthier in all ways--no more fast food or soda pop (I was practically living on Taco Bell and Dr. Pepper), which means no more 80 hour work weeks because I have to have time for grocery shopping and cooking. More exercise, more rest, more prayer, more attention focused on what I'm doing right now rather than interrupting everything for the email chime.
ReplyDeleteI too am finding out how out of balance I have been (well, I knew but now I NOTICE). It's distressing, and I'm hopeful that I can continue to work on this after Easter too!
I issued my congregation a Lenten Discipline Challenge: to pray for the congregation every day (which would mean both listening to and talking to God) and to make one phone call a week to someone they haven't seen at church in a while. I even gathered up my courage and told them I EXPECT them to do it. I'm excited to see the results when prayer and building community becomes a habit! :-)
I'm adding 100 steps each day to my daily walk. It's going well.
ReplyDeleteTeri, I hope you'll let us know the outcome for the congregation!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, good for you!
I was having trouble coming up with a discipline but I have adopted a set of spiritual exercises for Lent posted by The Caffeinated Priest, who deserves a shout-out. And I'm trying to blog about it, too.
ReplyDeleteI thought my link would right to TCP's exercises, but it doesn't--scroll down and you'll find them.
ReplyDeleteRDM, here are the links to those posts: Part One, Part Two and Part Three.
ReplyDeleteI like the different practices of the spiritual exercises at The Caffeinated Priest. Sometimes being open to something new each day is its own kind of discipline!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I am giving up sugar (so far, so good), and trying to give up clutter. What I am taking on is more thorough preparation for this year's lenten program, which is intergenerational. We're a small church, so making a family affair out of this is good for everyone. So far, after one week of program, we have an enthusiastic group of participants.
I was having trouble discerning a "give up," so I went the "take on" route this year. Using the Presbyterians Today Lenten devotional guide I have been blogging short personal devotions most days. I misplaced the book this weekend (I'm already discovering weekends are hardest because it is difficult to just shut the door on family like I can do at the church when I don't want to be interupted), so I got a bit behind, but instead of skipping, I am taking time to do 2 a day to catch up. I have not been good at establishing a study/prayer/reflection discipline for myself in YEARS, so the hope is that this will grow during Lent into something I will sustain beyond the season. Doing it on my blog gives me a sense of accountability even though I don't think it's a very widely read blog at all.
ReplyDeleteWhen we get a little closer to Easter, I'll probably start asking for suggestions for devotional guides to use when this one is "up."
Anyway, here's the link to anything tagged "2010 Lenten devotional."
SheRev, that's a great discipline. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteTeri, I love that. I'm posting every day in Lent, something I began mostly for my own discipline and focus, but I've received some emails from unexpected friends letting me know they are checking in each day. Now I really do have to keep it up! Since I'm not pastoring a church, and since the church we are now attending does not even mention the season, this was my way of staying mindful and not losing touch with who I really am called to be. Missing all of you and preacher paries, etc. I'm going to be of FB, blogs, other media for a week or so, along with some other kinds of fasting, but it will be further down the road towards Easter.
ReplyDeleteAltar Ego, I would love to hear more about your intergenerational program; I am always trying not to re-invent wheels others have created before me!
ReplyDeleteI am doing two things. One is that on Thursdays I don't do recreational electronics use (some at work is essential). I have found that by the end of the evening, I sure feel a lot more peaceful!
The other, which seemed easier, is proving to be much, much harder. I decided to slow down every day for a few minutes, notice what is in my surroundings, and see if there was something I could do to help/improve the area. I have taken a trash bag along as I walk from the car to the store or when out walking the dog, I've taken the neighbor's trash cans in for her, I cleaned up a waiting area a bit. The hard part has been remembering to do it...and how sad that seems to me, that I can't remember to slow down and look around once a day :-o
I gave up all computer games except the daily jigzone and my scrabble games with my niece - less a game and more a family connection.
ReplyDeleteI figured I would use the time freed up for reading all those important books and maybe even praying a little more. Well, the second happens sometimes. I am spending more time on sermon prep, too, but the stack of books is not going down at all. Sigh....