Vinyl records are made by cutting grooves or ruts into the vinyl. The record (at this point called a lacquer) is placed on the cutting machine where electronic signals from the master recording travel to a cutting head, which holds a stylus or needle. The needle etches a groove into the record that spirals to the center of the circular disc. The imprinted lacquer is then sent to a production company, where it is coated in metal, such as silver or nickel, to create a metal master.
Our lives also operate in grooves. We operate a certain way, day after day after day. Sometimes our grooves — our habits, our ways of being — create beautiful music. Sometimes our grooves are more like ruts — they create sounds that are less inviting, even harsh.
Lent is a season in which we are invited to break out of the ruts we may have fallen into, by changing up our habits, and acknowledging that our lives, by God’s grace, do not have to fall into ruts that are etched in metal or stone.
We can be changed.
Invitation:
Grab a record, feel its edges, its grooves, its texture. Imagine the music it creates. Consider your own present practices:
— what are the grooves that create music? How can you nourish them?
— what are the ruts that you would like to get out of? Consider ways you can change your present practices. What are new grooves you could create? What space might open up if you change a current habit?
Records
Prayer:
God thank you for this life you given me.
I cherish the music you have allowed me to hear, as well as to create.
Forgive me for the ruts that increase the chaotic noise of the world.
Free me to live into grooves of grace that create beautiful music.
Music that sings of you.
In Christ, Amen.
Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine
Charles Wesley, 1757
Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine,
The joy and desire of my heart,
For closer communion I pine,
I long to reside where thou art:
The pasture I languish to find
Where all, who their Shepherd obey,
Are fed, on thy bosom reclined,
And screened from the heat of the day.
Ah! show me that happiest place,
The place of thy people’s abode,
Where saints in an ecstasy gaze,
And hang on a crucified God;
Thy love for a sinner declare,
Thy passion and death on the tree:
My spirit to Calvary bear,
To suffer and triumph with thee.
‘Tis there, with the lambs of thy flock,
There only, I covet to rest,
To lie at the foot of the rock,
Or rise to be hid in thy breast;
‘Tis there I would always abide,
And never a moment depart,
Concealed in the cleft of thy side,
Eternally held in thy heart.
Choose a reader to read the regular type, communal response in bold.
Brigid of Ireland
Brigid is believed to have been the daughter of a pagan Scottish king and a Christian Pictish slave. Even as a child, she was known to have a generous spirit and a compassionate, tender heart and was drawn to help the poor, the hungry, and the cold. Eventually Brigid’s father decided she must be married or taken into someone else’s household, because he could no longer afford to keep her (especially in light of her excessive giving to the poor, which he feared would be the ruin of him). Brigid refused marriage and became a nun with seven other women. At Kildare, she founded a double monastery for monks and nuns, assisted by a bishop. The perpetual fire at the monastery became a symbol of its hospitality and constant, undying devotion to God and the poor.
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you As the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. We are happy to be your children, O Lord: make us happier still to extend the table.
Psalm 1:1-3
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked: nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the LORD: and they meditate on his law day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither: everything they do shall prosper.
Reading
Brigid of Ireland said, “I would like the angels of Heaven to be among us. I would like an abundance of peace. I would like full vessels of charity. I would like rich treasures of mercy. I would like cheerfulness to preside over all. I would like Jesus to be present.”
We are happy to be your children, O Lord: make us happier still to extend the table. Prayer:
Lord, help us to welcome every guest as if we were welcoming you, delighting in their presence and ready to learn what good news they bring to us. Amen.
Blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you:
wherever he may send you;
May he guide you through the wilderness:
protect you through the storm;
May he bring you home rejoicing:
at the wonders he has shown you;
May he bring you home rejoicing:
once again into our doors.
— reading taken from Common Prayer: a Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
Look at the list of the fruit of the Spirit.
Take a few moments to consider each of these attributes.
Which one are you in need of this moment?
Cutting 'fruit'
Invitation:
Take a piece of paper and cut out a leaf (or a piece of fruit!).
Write the fruit of the Spirit on it that you are asking God to produce in you.
Say it aloud as you hang it on the tree.
Look at the tree and the fruit others have posted or will post. Give thanks to God for these gifts of the Spirit.
Take a moment to bask in God’s presence.
On the tree
Prayer:
God, I long to know you more.
I worship you as Three in One – Father, Son, Spirit.
May my life take root deep in you, and may the leaves and fruit that grow bring shade, healing, and life to all.
As you enter this space find a place to still yourself before the throne of God… whether standing, sitting, or kneeling.
Flames
Consider the candle flame, its warmth, its light.
Let this light illuminate your thoughts and this warmth draw out your burdens. Perhaps you are in need of forgiveness or need to forgive.
Take as much time as needed.
Invitation:
When you feel led, write your prayer request or supplication, a name or a word that has meaning to you on a slip of paper, set it in the container —giving it to God.
Light
Then light a votive candle as an ikon of your prayer.
Prayer:
Dispel my illusions, Jesus, that I might see the wisdom of your way.
May your light guide me always and give me strength.
Life is busy. Commitments pull us in many directions. Responsibilities attempt to smother us. We seek to make a living, to live. To love, to give. Yet so much seems to get in the way of what we are seeking.
What is it that has you preoccupied, worried, anxious?
Water is life
Invitation:
Take a cup, fill it with water. Imagine the cleansing that water brings, the life it provides. Take a tablet from the dish. Feel its edges, its texture. See it as a representation of all that has you worried and anxious.
Drop it in the water. As the tablet dissolves, allow your worry to dissolve with it. Give it to God and trust in Him.
SCRIPTURE:
“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”
—1 Peter 5:7
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
— Matthew 6:25
At the station
Prayer:
God thank you for this life you given me.
Receive my worries, my cares, my concerns.
Recently at Watershed we attempted to cultivate a unique worship experience, specifically for Lent.
We called it ‘The Monastery Experience’, making use of the old, late-1800’s space recently restored in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons – our collective home as a faith community. In the brick-lined hallways and arches, it was easy to imagine ourselves in a monastery in ancient times.
Various stations were set up at which one was able to stop and have a contemplative worship experience. A nice group of people attended, from our own community and beyond. Young, old, and in-between walked the halls and spent time worshiping, reflecting, absorbing. In the background we had chant playing from Benedictine and Gregorian monks. As it echoed through the halls we were truly transported to another place.
There will be a page for each station on this site, and you are invited to experience this powerful event for yourself.
—
LENT: the monastery experience
Enter here
Lent is about making space for God. This morning, we have created a monastery-like setting in which you are invited to consider the ways you can empty yourself, and create more space for God.
There are eight stations setup in the lower mercato area. Imagine you are entering a monastery. Act with the reverence you would have on such an occasion.
Some stations will work best by yourself, others will work better in a group.
Instructions will be provided at each station. You may want to experience each station, or a few, or some more than once. Don’t worry about rushing from one to the next – be present in each space. You may start at the end, and work forward, or the front and move back, or in any order you choose. When you are finished with a station, quietly move to the next.
Here is an overview, with links to each station:
STATION: WATER — seeking release Works best individually
STATION: FIRE — illumination, heat, warmth Works best individually
STATION: TREE — seeking fruit and life Works best individually
STATION: VOX — voices that bring life Works best in groups of four or more
STATION: TABLE — take, eat, remember, believe Individual or groups
STATION: GROOVE — breaking out of ruts Works best individually
STATION: STILL — quiet, empty, silent Individual or groups
STATION: LECTIO — sacred reading Works best in groups of four or more
Having just eaten my second paczki before 10:00am, I realized it is time for me to start thinking about Lent. Today is Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday — the day before the season of Lent. (Also known as Mardi Gras). This day is generally a day of indulgence before turning to repentance. This historically has been a time when you would clear out the flour and sugar and all the things that would be forbidden to eat during Lent by making paczkis, pancakes and other yummies. It is a day to indulge in food and drink because one wouldn’t during the next 40 or so days during the Lenten season.
Various Christian traditions put more (or less) emphasis on this season – some worry it feels too ‘religious’ — but I think it can be a meaningful time on the spiritual calendar. Perhaps you’ve felt this also, but are wondering what that means in actuality. Me too.
So my thoughts naturally turned to the most spiritual people around — monks. What do they do in monasteries? They of all people must know how to keep Lent in a way that is meaningful, full of tradition, and so on.
Rule 49 of St. Benedict’s Rule is about Lent. It goes as follows:
CHAPTER XLIXOn the Keeping of Lent
The life of a monk ought always to be a Lenten observance. However, since such virtue is that of few, we advise that during these days of Lent he guard his life with all purity and at the same time wash away during these holy days all the shortcomings of other times. This will then be worthily done, if we restrain ourselves from all vices. Let us devote ourselves to tearful prayers, to reading and compunction of heart, and to abstinence.
During these days, therefore, let us add something to the usual amount of our service, special prayers, abstinence from food and drink, that each one offer to God “with the joy of the Holy Ghost” (1 Thes 1:6), of his own accord, something above his prescribed measure; namely, let him withdraw from his body somewhat of food, drink, sleep, speech, merriment, and with the gladness of spiritual desire await holy Easter.
Let each one, however, make known to his Abbot what he offers and let it be done with his approval and blessing; because what is done without permission of the spiritual father will be imputed to presumption and vain glory, and not to merit. Therefore, let all be done with the approval of the Abbot.
—
The 5 Lenten practices and principles in St. Benedicts Rule can be seen as a way to get into a rhythm during this time of year. They impact not only our personal faith and spirituality in this season, but also give us lenses to see the rest of the year in a different light. Further, as spiritual practices affect us inwardly, they will inevitably flow outward from us, helping us breathe the Spirit of life into those around us. As communities of people begin to incorporate these practices, the broader spiritual impact only increases. (The following are adapted from Word Made Flesh).
1. Refraining from sin – “Lent should be a time for us to do battle, a time to fight not only the great temptations but, perhaps more importantly, our subtle faults, the seemingly small habitual sins we consent to every day…[Lent is a propitious time to take inventory and a close look at our bare selves,] to see the obstacles on our journey to God, things which should be eliminated from our lives.”
The challenge presented is to look at sin as not only having a personal dimension but as systemic and structural evil as well. What is it that we consent to every day that implicates us, directly or indirectly, in actions and attitudes that destroy community, solidarity, compassion and resurrection hope? As we examine our bare selves may we pray to refrain from those things that veer us off the path of following the One who was deeply concerned for and drew near to the vulnerable, the excluded, and the forgotten.
2. Prayer with tears – “Our Lenten prayer, like the publican’s, ought to be a humble and tearful prayer of compunction, a prayer of simplicity and trust, not in ourselves, but in the loving-kindness and tenderness of God.”
Our tears should flow over our own brokenness, our own need, our own attempts at making the world conform to our wants and desires. Our tearful prayers should also flow from our how often we lack of compassion and solidarity with those who suffer because of our individual and collective brokenness. Our weeping may draw us closer to the heartbreak of God over the suffering we induce (or neglect) in our world.
3. Holy reading – “for through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit never ceases to speak and educate us…Lent is this wonderful, particularly well-suited time for reading and listening to the voice of God in His word.”
Holy reading during Lent can take on a certain newness as we attempt to apply God’s Word to today’s challenges and opportunities. Perhaps you’ll decide to reading through a Psalm each morning. Maybe you’ll contemplate on Jesus or the Israelites’ experience in the desert. Memorize a passage. How is God speaking into my life? How am I responding to it? As the Spirit of God challenges us to read Scripture with fresh eyes and hearts, we may well be open to a new working of God in our lives. May our holy reading lead us to contemplate and discover in Scripture God’s special and deep love for us, and for the most broken around us, including the orphan, the widow, and the immigrant.
4. Repentance – “Repentance, the work of the Holy Spirit in the innermost part of our hearts…It is true that conversion and repentance are lifelong tasks, but Lent provides us with an exclusive period to work in it intensely. Lent is indeed a ‘school of repentance’.”
During Lent let us allow the Spirit of God to lead us to repent not only of our personal sins but also for the ways in which our collective history may have been complicit in the suffering of others. In repentance, let us seek to believe in the Gospel that is good news to all who need it – including ourselves! It is also good news to the poor, sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed. May we actively seek justice, hope and joy in the Spirit, which is what the Kingdom of God is all about.
5. Abstinence from food –“Christ used fasting and encouraged his followers to practice fasting…when carried out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it becomes life-giving and a source of powerful grace in our individual lives.”
Abstinence from food during Lent becomes life giving to us as we reflect and realize that God is our source of life and all that is good in our lives. Yet abstinence from food during Lent can also bring us in closer in solidarity with so many of God’s children that abstain from food, not voluntarily, but who are forced to by extreme poverty and vulnerability. This fasting can become an opportunity to practice compassion and solidarity with the suffering and vulnerable. It can become a catalyst in creatively exploring how to live simply so that others can simply live. Maybe you’ll give up sweets, or coffee, or beer, or something else during this season. Maybe skipping lunch as a daily fast, or doing it once a week. I am still considering my options… Might be hard for a pub theologian to give up beer… Shane Claiborne had some delightful thoughts today about how sometimes less is more.
Looking at these 5 Lenten practices not only through a lens of personal faith and spirituality but also with a posture of solidarity, identification and compassion towards the suffering and vulnerable, we can continue to discover our real selves on our faith journey.
And in this journey Lent provides a focused season to follow and align our life-choices and options in relation to a God who is concerned for each one of us – and each person we encounter every day. May we experience and be the presence of Christ in each place he has us, and open ourselves to his work in our lives! (For more Lenten resources, check out Godspace)
Doing something special this year for Lent? Feel free to share your journey below!
