By Laura Stephens Reed
Today, February 14, the Church will begin the season of Lent, the 40-day (not counting Sundays) journey to the cross and then to the empty tomb. If you’re new to the idea of Lent, you’re not alone! Many Baptist congregations do not observe it, and I had not really even heard of it until I went to seminary. But my faith has been enriched by thinking of the weeks leading up to Easter as a time of spiritual preparation for receiving the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.
Some people who are more familiar with Lent think of it as a sacrificial time when we give up something that we enjoy or even rely upon, such as dessert or caffeine. I prefer to think of the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday as an intentional deepening of our presence and openness to God, one another and even ourselves.
What we might need to lay aside, then, could be a hectic pace of life and a crowded mind more than a tangible object that we then pick right back up after all the Easter eggs are gathered. (As a minister, mom, business owner and Enneagram 5, I know well that this is easier said than done.) What we might want to add in their stead is an orientation of contemplation.
But what is contemplation? Not that long ago, if you had asked me for a definition, I would have described it as a kind of navel-gazing. I could not have been more wrong. Instead, it is what theologian Walter Burghardt calls “a long, loving look at the real.” It is purposely approaching God’s world with wonder and awe without denying all that is challenging within it. I imagine this discipline can give us greater understanding of what prompted Jesus to consent to his own murder to show the ultimate weakness of violence in the face of divine Love.
When our being and doing are rooted in contemplation, we notice better the Holy Spirit’s work in, around and through us. We appreciate all that God has made. We seek both diversity and unity in community. We experience ourselves being found over and over by Jesus, our Good Shepherd. And we also more fully partner with God in healing the world.
If you want to take up a contemplative practice for Lent, here are some ideas:
Pray with your eyes open. I mean this in a very broad sense. Look around. Train your compassionate heart to focus on everyone and everything you see. Celebrate beauty of all kinds. Ask for God’s help where you see struggle. This prayer could be as you are stationary, or you could be moving around. Maybe you are thinking or journaling words, or you could simply let awareness or emotion well up in you.
Pray with the Church. Some denominations (the Episcopal Church, for example) have set scriptures and prayers for each day, and we can join them. This shared experience provides structure for our devotional times but, just as importantly, reminds us that we are part of a larger body of Christ watched over by a communion of saints.
Engage silence. Silence is not just a vacuum. It is an opening to all that God might pour into it. Breathe deeply, settle your body and mind and see what the Spirit will do with your receptivity.
Create something. You don’t even need formal materials for this. Gather what’s near at hand, give thanks for these supplies, and wait for them to present themselves to you in new, combined forms. This kind of prayer allows us to celebrate the goodness of the created world and get a glimpse into the divine imagination behind it.
Move your body. Sometimes I am most amenable to the Spirit’s whisperings when I am moving just enough to quiet my mind. Walking or repetitive motions often work well for this.
Examen the day. Examen is the practice of reviewing the day, noting when God felt closer or more distant. You could add an open-ended question to that reflection, such as, “What is God up to in this?”
Seek out a new (or not so new) acquaintance’s story. When we hear the narrative of someone else’s life, we learn fresh ways that God moves through our lives and connects all our stories to God’s own. And, when we become closer to a person by knowing more about them, the door of our heart opens a bit wider, and we catch a new glimpse of God’s image.
Listen for a word from God. Engage in lectio divina on a scripture passage, listening for and sharing what word or phrase jumps out at you and what God might be saying to you through it. This can be done on your own or in a small group setting.
Gather around the Lord’s table. Communion is a unifying event in a fragmented world. All are invited to the table, where Jesus reminds us that as he showed us in his life and in his death, the love God has for us, the love we have for God and the love we have for others cannot be separated.
Certainly, there are many more ways than these to take a long, loving look at the real, and you don’t need to take all of these practices up for Lent! Start small so that your disciplines are sustainable and slowly begin to reshape the rhythm of your life. Contemplation, after all, is not just a Lenten observance. These 40 days are a great time and reason to experiment with what helps us approach the world with more awareness of the divine presence. When we can do this, we can live in challenging seasons with deep love for one another and with trust that no matter what happens, God is in it and is working through our open heartedness.
Laura Stephens-Reed is a clergy and congregational coach based in Alabama. She has been credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and as a Certified Mentor Coach, and she sits on the faculty of two coach training schools. She has also been trained as a Congregational Consultant and an Intentional Interim Minister by the Center for Congregational Health.
CBF has a new resource for Lent! The 2024 Emmanuel McCall Lenten Devotional series is prepared by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship family and friends for the season of Lent. The McCall Lenten series features wonderful reflections on God’s Word, thought-provoking questions, prayers, art, music, noteworthy information and resources for action. Available in English and Spanish, this Lenten resource is intended for use by individuals, small groups and congregations.
Read, download and sign-up for a daily devotional e-mail to be delivered to your inbox during this season of Lent at https://www.cbf.net/mccall.