A Truly Memorable Lent

A Truly Memorable Lent through the Discipline of Lent + Repentance, Prayer, Fasting, Works of Love +

In our Ash Wednesday Liturgy we were invited to struggle against everything that leads us away from love of God and neighbors by exercising the Discipline of Lent: repentance, prayer, fasting, and works of love. These become the specific occasions and opportunities for spiritual renewal during this Lenten sea- son of renewal. In these particular aspects of the Lenten Discipline, we focus our lives on Christ's self- -sacrificing passion, death and resurrection, which have brought us acceptance, forgiveness and redemp- tion by God. Through that same discipline, we make a loving response to God.

During the Sunday Adult Education session in Lent we will look at a different component of the Disci- pline of Lent: March 5 - Repentance March 12 & 19 - Prayer March 26 & April 2 - Fasting April 9 - Works of Love Also, on each Sunday in Lent, you will receive a daily Lenten challenge related to the theme of that week in your email. Contributors to the week's daily challenges are Randall Rutsch, David Potas, Kimberly Matney, Casey Burnett, Christian Meyer, and Pastor Mark.

We pray that we all are blessed through this Lenten exercise and truly experience a memorable Lent.

Week 2 - Prayer

God wants to be closer to us. God wants us to be in communication with him – in thought, word and action. One place where all of these come together is in act of praying. In our prayers we are moving closer to, and are engaged in conversation with the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Prayer is special due to the nature of the participants – God’s child and God, and due to the nature of the conversation – living a life as a servant of God.

There are many different types of prayer. Payers of Thanksgiving (being grateful), Intercession (on behalf of others), Supplication (on behalf of yourself), and Worship (acknowledging the awesomeness of God) are just a few. In every service you attend you engage in several types of prayer. Many different types are likely found around your dinner table, or in still moments at the beginning or end of your day, or in daily chaos when you simply need a moment of peace. We pray in the company of others, in community and we pray when we are alone. For each and every one of us there are many ways we pray.

It less important how you pray. It matters more to God that you pray, to be in conversation with him, to ask questions and to listen. During this week we will focus on a few of the different types of prayer. You are encouraged to stop and pause before each daily prayer activity. Psalm 46:10 is a something I often use to prepare for prayer - “Be still and know that I am God”. Try repeating this, you may find yourself singing the tune you learned long ago:

Be still and know that I am God Be still and know that I am Be still and know Be Still Be

Daily Thought and Challenge

SUNDAY – Community Prayer – Thankfulness & Worship Thought: You are not alone. The people in your life today, and from the past, are part of who you are. They have helped shaped your values and your world view. They are part of the web that God has woven you into. Acknowledge how big that really is. Challenge: Be still. Make a mental list of the key people in your life that have been or are part of your community. Thank God for their presence in your life. Share this.

MONDAY – Three Little Words

Thought: Please, Sorry, Thank You. You learned them in Kindergarten if not before that. You may have been taught to pray this way when you were young. This simple mantra is a very powerful basis for prayer because it engages with God in supplication, acknowledges that you are a sinner, and honors the source of what we have to be thankful for. Challenge: Be still. Combine these three words in a short and simple prayer. What do you need help with? Ask God to help you take the first step. Listen, and don’t forget to say please. Ask for God’s forgiveness for a hurt you have caused another, be specific, and listen for an answer. Give thanks for something in your life, be specific, and remember it. Share this.

TUESDAY – A talk with Jesus – The Chair Prayer* Thought: God wants us to be in conversation with. He sent his son to walk with us, teach us and redeem us. We are his disciples. What would you talk to Jesus about if you met him face to face in his incarna- tion as man? Would he speak in parables to you? What would he make you question? What would he ask you to give up to follow him? Would you be willing to do it? We are asked this every day. How do we respond? Challenge: Be still. Set an empty chair in front of you and sit next to it, or sit on the couch with an open space beside you and believe that Jesus is right there. Strike up a conversation! Be sure to listen to what he says in response to what you say. Share this.

WEDNESDAY – God’s work, our hearts. Intercession. Thought: All of us are challenged in our daily lives – sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ways. Some have health concerns, some of us are worried about providing for ourselves and our families, and others worry about the future of our country and community. Everyone has peaks and valleys. Another challenge is to set our concerns and fears aside for a moment, and consider another who is in a valley. God wants us to work through us to help others. Challenge: Be still. Think about some else who you know that is challenged or in pain. Consider what they need to hear from God. Pray to God that they listen to his messages. Pray that they know he is there with them and for them. Tell them you prayed for them. Let them know God walks with them. THURSDAY – A constant reminder – bring it with you – make it a habit Thought: Some of us need a reminder to slow down and be reminded to be with God during our daily lives. For others it is a way of being. Building the muscle to “be with God” on a regular basis in spite of the secular world around us is part of growing our faith. What would bring it to the forefront for you more often? Challenge: Be still. Pick a small item you associate with God and your faith. Pick something you don’t usually have with you on a daily basis. Keep this item in your pocket or other place you will access fre- quently (for some of you this means attaching it to your phone!). Every time you encounter this item stop for a moment and think about God. Say a quick prayer of any kind.

FRIDAY – You can make it up as you go! Thought: Being in conversation with God matters more than the form. Responding to a quick set of questions and giving immediate answers can be an opening to your feelings and relationship with God in that exact moment of time. Just Do It. Challenge: Be still. Fill in the blanks below answer quickly, there are no wrong answers.

God is ______I need help with ______I want to understand ______Thank you God for ______In your name I wish ______

Once complete – think about your answer in the moment. Don’t change it but consider why you responded how you did. Share this list with another person – spouse, parents, children, a friend, or anyone in your faith community. This is a great way to pray with others, especially those whom we can only reach by phone. You can make up similar questions on your own.

SATURDAY – Silent Meditation Thought: Pastor Mark starts every service asking us to leave the outside world behind and be still in preparation for the contemplation, the celebration and conversation. This is something that is often very hard to do, but is very important to do. It interrupts the external and opens the door to the eternal. Silence is something that you and God can share with each other.

Challenge: Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). Sit in silence, clearing all thoughts from your mind. Imagine an object in front of you that represents an aspect of the Trinity – a Cross, a breeze through the trees, a sunset, a father, laughter. Slow down and spend time being in that presence of God. Share.

Written and compiled by Christian Meyer with resources from www.biblestudytools.com, www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com and *Hearts Ignite, by Lyle Griner and Diane Monroe