Lenten Discipline -- April 8

Lenten discipline of the day:

read a poem, out loud, to yourself or

to somebody else.

Many people think they don't like poetry because somebody, somewhere along the line, taught them that poetry is dull or difficult, or that poems can only be read in a certain way.  That's nonsense, at least from my perspective.  Poetry is, I believe, the language of the heart.  In fact, much of the language of the Bible is poetry and Jesus himself was one of Israel's great poets.  Far from being a "waste of time," poetry may speak truth to us in ways that ordinary language often does not.  

So today, read a poem.  If you don't know where to start, here's a website with 10 suggested poems that use ordinary language in really beautiful ways http://flavorwire.com/217118/10-poems-everyone-needs-to-read/.  And if you find a poem that you really love, share it with someone else by reading it to them.  It's a great gift.

For you today, I offer a snippet of a poem by Wendell Berry entitled "Manifestor: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front":

So, friends, every day do something

that won't compute.  Love the Lord.

Love the world.  Work for nothing.

Take all that you have and be poor.

Love someone who does not deserve it.

Denounce the government and embrace

the flag.  Hope to live in that free

republic for which is stands.

Give your approval for all you cannot

understand.  Praise ignorance, for what man

has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Taylor Mali is a teacher, poet and performer who demonstrates the power of spoken word poetry.  Here's a video of him reading one of his poems.  He has many other poems on YouTube that are well worth watching:

If you are reading this via email or mobile device, you may need to click on this link to see the videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEBZkWkkdZA

Lenten Discipline -- April 7

Boyle School, Uniontown, Pa. 

Lenten discipline of the day:

say thank you to a teacher who made a difference in your life.

Mrs. Bennett was my first grade teacher at Boyle Elementary School.  Quite honestly,  I don't remember much about her, but the most important thing I know about Mrs. Bennett is that she is the teacher who taught me how to read.  

I remember Mrs. Bennett's patient teaching in the reading circles and the Dick and Jane books and the Weekly Readers.  I remember at some point finally getting my first library card and going downtown every Saturday morning to pick out a new stack of books.  And it's all thanks to Mrs. Bennett who helped me crack the code and opened up an entire world for me.  I will be forever grateful.

Take time today to remember a teacher who made a difference in your life.  If he or she is still living, send a thank you note.  If not, simply take time to thank God for the gift of imagination and wonder that only a great teacher can give.

If you are reading this post via email or on mobile device, you may need to click this link to see the video: http://youtu.be/-FD1K8OvVCs

Lenten Discipline -- April 4

Lenten discipline of the day: 

light a candle.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."  In lighting a candle to mark the beginning of a time of prayer, or as a symbol of prayer on behalf of a specific person or situation, our prayers become symbols of Christ's light which shines even in the darkest of places.  

Take five minutes today to light a candle, if you are able, and listen to this Taize prayer:

(If you are reading this by mail or on a mobile device, you may need to clink this link to see the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmxXwAgkhWQ 

Lenten Discipline -- April 2

Lenten discipline of the day:

introduce yourself to your neighbor

Some neighbors are easier to love than others.  You would think that Jesus would cut us some slack when it comes to being in relationship with some kinds of people. Unfortunately, Jesus is a stickler on this point about loving neighbors.  We are COMMANDED to give our best to people we find difficult to accept, much less love.  

Yikes, right?

Since we've been married, my husband and I have lived in seven different apartments/houses in three different cities, and I have to admit that we've only gotten to know our neighbors beyond a pleasant nod in two of those places.  If you ask me why, the easy, mostly-true answer would be that we were busy and hardly ever home.  The more completely honest answer would be that there have been a lot of people nearby that we just didn't like for all kinds of ridiculous reasons. 

Who is God calling you to meet?  Who is the neighbor you've avoided?  

Lenten Discipline -- April 1

(Best viewed full screen)

Lenten discipline of the day: 

read Psalm 121 

A Song of Ascents.
¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   from where will my help come? 
² My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth. 

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber. 
⁴ He who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep. 

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night. 

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life. 
⁸ The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time on and for evermore.

Lenten Discipline -- March 28

Lenten discipline of the day:

tell someone what you are grateful for.

Expressing gratitude is something most of us were taught to do as children ("Write your grandmother a thank you note!!  Say please and thank you!!"), but we so easily forget to do as adults.  When we are in a hurry, when we are distracted, when we are centered on ourselves and our worries, it is easy to overlook the people closest to us and the many ways they make our lives rich and full.  Yet we know how powerful a simple "thank you" can be because gratitude is something we crave for ourselves.  Receiving gratitude is how we know that we matter, and that we've made a difference.

I have a former boss who gave me a job in advertising when I was inexperienced young woman right out of school.  He trusted me with increasing responsibility and encouraged me even when I messed up badly. He was both a mentor and a friend, and as I look back on my life, I have realized I'd probably be a very different person if I had not met him.  A couple years ago, I had lunch with him and told him how much I appreciated the difference he made for me, and how formative he was in my life.  I realized that he had even played a role in my decision to enter ministry!  It was a conversation that mattered to both us.  

When Fred Rogers was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997, he brought a Hollywood audience to tears by asking them to think about and remember the people who had "loved them into being."  Can you think of someone like that in your life?  When was the last time you simply said, "Thank you," to someone who has made all the difference to you?

Lenten Discipline -- March 27

Lenten discipline of the day:

adopt a prayer routine.

I discovered a long time ago that I am lousy at spontaneous prayer.  If I am to have a rich and meaningful prayer life, I have to plan for it and make time for it, just as I make time for other things I do routinely to keep myself healthy and well -- like showering, eating, exercising, etc.  So I begin each day with prayer, guided by Daily Prayer PC(USA) which provides brief services based on the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, including psalms for the day, readings from the daily lectionary, and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.  And I do it all using my iPhone -- yes, there's even an app for prayer!  http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/10/31/daily-prayer-app-here/  

Paul exhorts for us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which is a worthy goal, but the first step, I think, is to just make time each day to devote to prayer, in whatever way feels authentic to you.  For me, I need the liturgical structure of the Daily Prayer, although I may pray at other times of the day in many other ways.  Some folks in my congregation appreciate a devotional book like Upper Room, Guideposts or These Days.  The key is to find a structure that works for you and stick with it.  

Another on-line resource for something similar to Daily Prayer comes from our Episcopalian brothers and sisters:  http://dailyoffice.org.

I apologize for lack of posting yesterday.  I have the flu and am just now beginning to come out of the fog of fever and nausea.