Lent!

Jess: Lent is right around the corner (five days away to be exact), and Wes and I have come up with a pretty interesting Lenten discipline this year. St. Mark is going to be reading through a book called Simplify Your Life, so we’re kind of playing off of that theme. I also started formulating the idea when we were talking about the Commandments in Confirmation. Wes and I are going to intentionally have a Sabbath every Saturday during Lent.

One of the things we talked about during Confirmation was that the Sabbath was instituted for the good of all. No one was allowed to do work on the Sabbath, from the most king down to the animals. The point was not that some people got a day off to rest and regenerate, but that everyone in the Israelite community did. For this reason, the Sabbath requires quite a bit of intentionality. If no one is allowed to cook on the Sabbath, then everyone must think ahead and get food taken care of the previous day. If you can’t travel, then all of your errands need to be done the day before.

Wes and I spent a little while hashing out the details of what a Sabbath would look like for us. As you may remember, we both expressed the desire to spend some more time together—not just being in the same room, but focusing on one another and building our relationship. This is part of what led into the Sabbath idea. For that reason, we quickly established that sitting around watching movies/TV is not the Sabbath we’re looking for. Sure, watching some TV might factor into a restful day, but not comprise the whole thing.

We are going to be closing our computers and turning off our phones on the Sabbath, as well. Especially with school, we spend a lot of time on our computers, and these dang iPhones are just plain distracting. If our goal is to focus more on one another and our relationship, and be peaceful, that doesn’t mesh with the little “ding” noises every time we get a text.

Finally, we were both a little concerned about getting our homework done. We’re aware of the benefits of taking a break from studying. Yet taking an entire day off from reading and doing homework just won’t be conducive to succeeding this semester. Again, part of a Sabbath is being intentional. But if we’re too busy stressing out about what we still have left to do, there’s no way we’ll be relaxed. So we decided that homework can be done until 2 p.m. on Saturdays. After that, we’ll go take a walk, cook dinner together, etc.

I’m pretty excited to see where this goes and what it teaches us about rest. If God took the time for it, we probably should, too.  

Wes: I had a weird thing happen to me at my churches. As many of you know, we've been working through The Story, which goes through the biblical narrative (NIV) in 31 chapters. We've been doing a chapter a week for the most part (with the exception of those few times that I crammed two together for the sake of finishing on time for Lent), and it's been a wonderful thing for both me and the church. I feel like I've grown in my competence of Scripture, and for many people in my church, they are moving into a biblically literate life because of it. 

So a few weeks' ago, we as a church witnessed and celebrated the death and resurrection of Christ. Before Lent. We will finish up The Story next week (yeah, I didn't calculate it out perfectly... Oh well...) and then immediately move into Lent as we prepare again for Holy Week and all that it holds.

Do you get what means? My season of Lent this year is bookended by the resurrection of Jesus.

Weird, right?

One of my friends on Facebook made a comment that I was celebrating Easter a little early. I felt like I was! But in a way, I'm very glad for this, because it has reminded me of a very important aspect of my faith: I celebrate the resurrection of Christ every Sunday. Each Sunday can, should, and must be an Easter celebration!

Too much of the time, though, this is far, far from the case. I find myself bogged down in the Law of religion that I often forget the Grace of God that is present there as well! (That was a shout out to all of my Lutheran friends, b-t-dubs). This Lent, as Jess and I engage in intentional Sabbath time, as we remember that from dust we have come and to dust we shall return, as we reflect on the testing, the trials, the temptation, and the passion of Christ, I am going to work hard to put it all in context. I going to strive to live into the call of all of the disciples to be an Easter people. 

And I'm going to remember what it is all about. 

I'll also probably end up going to church a lot more since Jess is working with a bunch of Lutherans who worship together on Wednesday nights. That'll be fun. 

So what are your plans for Lent? We'd love to hear them! Maybe we can all be praying for each other as we covenant together in our Lenten disciplines this year. 

You stay classy, World Wide Web!

-jess and wes