Lent Daybook, 11: Reap
SECOND MONDAY IN LENT
Welcome to a Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. You can see all the previous Lent daybook 2019 posts here.
Is this your first time to practice Lent? Here's a simple introduction.
Look: Branches With Almond Blossom, Vincent Van Gogh
Listen: “Johann Sebastian Bach - Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: IV.Presto” from Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1 , Chris Thile
Spotify | YouTube
Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify - Lent: Instrumental & Choral Classics. Add it to your account by clicking ‘Follow.’
Read: Psalm 56, 57; Jeremiah 1:11-19; Romans 1:1-15; John 4:27-42
Excerpts:
Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year C). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 1) with the Psalm for the Morning Office.
Pray:
Each Monday, we’ll pray from the Sunday collect (prayer said by the congregation in Sunday worship) as given in the Book of Common Prayer.
Do:
This week, fast replacement symbols for language - emojis and social media “likes” - and feast on the language of lament and amazement instead.
Pay attention, in particular, to the Psalms in each day’s post. Gather words of lament and amazement to use throughout the day. Consider the characters in the other Scripture passages each day. Pay attention to the verbal and non-verbal responses they use. You can even keep a thesaurus handy throughout the week. Whenever you’re tempted to use an emoji or social media symbol, stop and ask yourself the following question:
Where does the need to do this come from?
If this conversation was happening face to face, what is it I most want to say to this person?
If you discover that finding language (including silence and physical presence) especially difficult try this exercise*:
Divide a piece of paper into four columns headed with the words “I’m sad with you”, “I’m amazed with you”, “I love this about you”, “I’m celebrating with you”. In each column write all the ways you know to convey each truth. Put this list where you can see it and revisit it. Intentionally use these worlds and phrases throughout the week.*
What do you notice about yourself and yourself and the way you relate to others in their experiences?
*Exercise adapted from Adele Ahlberg Calhoun’s chapter “Controlling the Tongue”, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook
(See all Lent daybook posts from 2018 here.)