It has been several years since I observed Lent. Lent has seemed rather unnecessary, if not a totally pointless exercise, for someone who no longer goes to church and who has sort of passed into the amorphous world of post-Christianity.
This year I decided to observe Lent again. It took me a while to figure out what that would entail, but I ultimately came up with a plan to keep Lent in my own special way. My Lenten observance will not involve the ordinary liturgical rituals at church on Sunday or the Wednesday night soup suppers and discussion groups in the under croft. For me this year, Lent will involve the dual acts of sacrifice (giving up) and intentional action (taking on new tasks) for the purpose of aligning my life more closely with what I believe the Holy is calling me to be and to do.
The sacrifice involves giving up fiction writing for the duration. Only someone inside my skin could understand what a huge sacrifice that is. I'd bet the farm I won't make it all the way without cheating on that one.
The intentional action will involve spending the time I am not using to write fiction in intentional examinations of conscience and exploring various facets of my spiritual life and health in my Journal. Some of that may end up here.
I am posting this by way of a warning that I will either be posting a whole lot in the coming weeks or I will be maintaining something like radio silence. I am not sure which way this will go.
In any case, as Christians and others of good faith throughout the world begin the passage toward Easter, I want to call upon the Lord to bless us, keep us, guard us and guide us. May this time bring us closer to the Holy, and to one another.
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