I struggled with lent - starting well; finishing not so well. This year lent has exposed to me how difficult it is to sustain the same activity for forty days (a habit I didn’t make). Life is so loud and my drive to be a part of doing what I want, when I want overtakes Lent’s call to slow down, simplify, and surrender. Lent is countercultural even in a recession - it is a call to participate with Jesus in dying to self, walking in God’s will and pursuing a path of penance. Our culture while it may recognize these as noble pursuits is more suited toward materialism, consumerism, consumption, individual determination and pragmatism… and this year I became aware of just how influenced I am by my culture.

It is no surprise that an individual would be lured and formed by the dominant culture in which they live; but at the same time we can talk ourselves into being “above” such influences or striving toward a counter-cultural alternative. I admit - I am neither. My hope is that it will change.

I was only in to the third or fourth day of Lent this year when I was struck with how communal the guide I was using was, and I knew this was a missing aspect in my observance. Lent (the Christian Faith for that matter) is not meant to be observed by individuals, it is a season for a community. The Celtic Saint Brigid warned: a Christ follower without a soul friend is like a body with no head. I went into Lent be-headed.

My desire to follow the Christian year and to practice a more traditional liturgy has made me make some hard decisions - my family and I are going to be joining a new Christian community which can help us in these areas of our faith. It will be difficult to leave our current church (to a degree); but at the same time this realization has been a long time coming. So this Sunday (or Saturday Night) we will worship with a new portion of God’s family as we remember and rehearse Jesus’ last time entering Jerusalem for Passover.

So to recap - Lent 2009:
-Eye opening.
-Lent is not a solo sport.
-I am addicted to more and better.
-I can talk well about surrender but living it… not so much.
-Finding a soul friend is not a mere suggestion.
-(Sorta) said, “Goodbye” to one community in order to walk toward another that can help us be formed by liturgy (in all its forms: liturgical year, liturgical prayer, liturgical practices and traditions).

Peace.