Ashes to Action: Advice for your Lenten Journey

Think Lent is only about giving things up? Join Tara as she describes the season as a way to “make room” - for meditation, reflection, and acts of service. She invites you to take up a new spiritual practice or write your own spiritual autobiography. She describes how two stories - Madeleine L’Engle’s Circle of Quiet & the Transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17 - taught her that transformation involves commitment, community, and action.

Join Tara for Worship on Sunday morning at 10 am. Warren First Presbyterian Church at 300 Market Street in Warren Pennsylvania. A live stream is provided via FaceBook for people out of the region... During Lent Tara is facilitating a book club based on Madeline L'Engle's book A Circle of Quiet. Tuesday mornings at 10;30 am at the church.

Transcript

S7 E6 Ashes to Action: Advice for your Lenten Journey

Speaker: [00:00:00] Welcome to Holy Shenanigans podcast. The season of land is just around the corner. And I'm your muse, Tara Lamont, Eastman pastor and podcaster who's always on the lookout for holy shenanigans or the sacred showing up in everyday life with stories of resilience. Hope and love to go along with us on this lenten journey.

Speaker: The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and this year falls on February the 18th. On Ash Wednesday, I will be out and about in my community in Warren, Pennsylvania. As people are on their way to work or school, I will be at a coffee shop offering ashes and prayers [00:01:00] to remind people that they are not alone on their lenten journey.

Speaker: First Presbyterian Church of Warren in Pennsylvania will also be hosting a lenten service at 6:00 PM on February 18th at 300 Market Street. This sacred season offers Jesus followers the opportunity to shift their attention to spiritual practices of prayer, sacrifice, and acts of service. Some people choose to give something ENT like Sweetss.

Speaker: Or spending money on themselves or abstaining from tv, cable, or social media. It's important for me to tell you that the intention of this Latin season is not just about self-discipline or determination of will. The intention of giving something up ENT is to make space and time and energy for some other things.

Speaker: To invest in [00:02:00] prayer study and acts of service. Lent is a time where God invites us to slow down and to walk our walk of faith differently. In these 40 days of Lent, we have time set aside to provide dedicated space for spiritual growth. And maybe even some transformation and follow Jesus. Yes, my friends.

Speaker: You can give something up for Lent, but I invite you to think about it this way. Give something up so that you have room to take up a new spiritual practice, or maybe even write a new chapter in your spiritual autobiography. Today's Holy Shenanigan story comes from a time. When I was just newly married and a new mom, I went to the local library and I came across a book by Madeline L'engle called [00:03:00] Circle of Quiet.

Speaker: As I checked out that book and pushed my baby in her stroller and then made my way to the car, I had no idea that that little book was going to change my life. In this book, L'Engle told her own spiritual autobiography encompassing all aspects of her life, married with children, and an aspiring writer in particular.

Speaker: I remember the account of her trying to get a Wrinkle in time published and that after 26 rejections from publishers, she put it away in her cabinet. Eventually at the age of 40, she would have this book published. But through this great discouragement, this time of struggle, I heard L'Engle realize that having a book published wasn't what made her a writer.

Speaker: The actual act of [00:04:00] writing made her a writer, and her words got me thinking about my own hopes and dreams. Dreams of writing. Dreams of going to college, dreams of learning so much more. Her words helped me realize to be a student I needed to study. If I wanted to be a writer, I needed to write. And maybe if I wanted to become a college student, I needed to try and apply to college to do something new.

Speaker: You've gotta try and so. I tried, I applied and I got into college all because of those words in Madeline's spiritual autobiography because of Madeline L'Engle faithfulness to story, my own spiritual autobiography grew. Her stories [00:05:00] of struggle and discouragement helped me realize that I wasn't alone and that maybe, maybe my efforts of trying.

Speaker: Might become a way to grow spiritually, intellectually, in so many ways. Like L'Engle said, if you wanna be a writer, you have to write. If you want to do something new, you have to try. If you want to take the next step on your spiritual journey, you have to get your shoes on and go. If we're longing for transformation, transfiguration, or change, we've gotta take some action just like Jesus did in Matthew Seventeen's account of his own transfiguration.

Speaker: Jesus and the disciples, Peter, James, and John, travel up to the top of a high mountain to pray. Suddenly [00:06:00] Jesus is transfigured before them. His clothes and his face are shining brightly, and he's speaking to the foundational leaders from the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah. Peter known as the Rock is so enthralled by this scene.

Speaker: He tells Jesus he'll build three shrines so that they can all stay and just soak up the holiness. But while Peter was pitching his plan, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. And from the cloud, a voice said, this is my son, the beloved With him, I am well pleased. Listen to him. And when the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and they were overcome by fear.

Speaker: But Jesus came and touched them, saying, get up and do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself, alone. [00:07:00] Such a dramatic story, shining face of Jesus, dazzling clothes, Moses, Elijah, and his disciples, Peter, wanting to just stay there in that holy place. But my favorite part of this story is that after all the glory and wonder of this mountaintop experience, Jesus chooses to go back down the mountain and head back into the work the conflict.

Speaker: His arrest, his crucifixion that was awaiting him in Jerusalem. Jesus is committed to walking the walk of God's calling and invites his disciples to join him in walking the walk of their own ministry. I love that. Just the chapter before Jesus calls Peter to be the rock, the builder of the church, and he knows Peter will make mistakes.

Speaker: That Peter the Rock wants to build shelters [00:08:00] on top of a mountain, but the place Peter is called to build is down the mountain and into the challenges that await. Jesus walks the walk and calls Peter to walk the walk of his spiritual transfiguration too. here. In story, we find the power of spiritual autobiographies.

Speaker: Like Peter's calling to be the rock, the church would be built upon Jesus transfiguration and his invitation for the disciples to join him in the gritty work of building his church. Not on top of a mountain, but down in the low places, teaming with crowds of people who are also trying to figure out how to walk their own spiritual walk.

Speaker: The sharing of spiritual autobiographies offers wisdom, history, encouragement, and some inspiration. [00:09:00] Just like L'Engle inspired me and hopefully my words today are inspiration for you. But before you head out on your lenten journey, I have some travel recommendations, the work of spiritual transfiguration.

Speaker: Transformation is not something we do alone. We need to gather together for worship fellowship, Bible study in those spaces we're filled up so that we can keep walking The walk that we're called to reading and listening to Jesus followers who walk this walk of faith. They also give insight and encouragement whose spiritual autobiography?

Speaker: Do you wanna learn about? Do you wanna write your own? This Lent, I invite you to make some room to be encouraged and inspired. [00:10:00] Engage in a new spiritual practice, prayer, service, study, fellowship, worship, or even taking out a notebook to write about your own spiritual journey over the next 40 days. I'm gonna be taking some space for the same thing, spending some time with a devotional based on Madeleine L'Engle.

Speaker: A circle of quiet I'll be getting together with folks on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 AM at First Presbyterian Church in Warren, Pennsylvania. This will start on February 17th. If you're not sure where to start in writing your own spiritual autobiography. Here are some prompts to help. Who was the first person to introduce you to the concept of God or who created a memory of God for you?

Speaker: Tell a [00:11:00] story from your childhood that represents the essence of who you are today. Describe a grace moment when you felt God's presence in a difficult or a joyful situation. Who are the spiritual mentors or heroes who have inspired, shaped, and encouraged your spiritual life? A blessing to walk the walk of Lent creator.

Speaker: God, thank you for the people who have been generous, who share their lives to care for others. Thank you for those active in the spiritual practices of prayer study writing. Service and faithfully walking the walk. They have been called to inspire and empower us to take to the valleys to share your love and mercy.

Speaker: Amen. [00:12:00] Gratitude to you all the holy shena out there who support and listen to our podcast. Our top five locations this week are Jamestown, New York, Frankfurt, Germany. Buffalo, New York, Warren, Pennsylvania, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thanks also to Ian Eastman for sound editing. To locate some affordable and easily downloadable resources for Lent, I encourage you to go check out Salt productions@www.saltproject.org.

Speaker: You too can support Holy Shenanigans Podcast by contributing at www. Buy me a coffee.com/tara l Eastman, or become a monthly patron by our HSP Buzzsprout homepage@holyshenanigans.buzzsprout.com. I [00:13:00] am your holy shenanigans muse, Tara Lamont Eastman. Thank you for joining me this week for lenten Holy shenanigans to surprise, encourage, redirect, and turn life upside down.

Speaker: All in the name of love. This is an unpredictable spiritual adventure that is always sacred, but never stuffy. This lent, let's walk the walk from the mountain all the way down into the valley, sharing stories of hope and encouragement. There's someone out there that needs to hear yours.