Ash Wednesday and Lent are coming in 2 weeks. What are your plans this year? Maggie Dawn, associate dean of Marquand Chapel and associate professor of theology and literature at Yale Divinity School, suggests 40 ways to keep a joyful, thankful, holy Lent:
Lent begins … on Wednesday March 5th – and lasts … around 40 Days. …
Today’s post is simply 40 ideas for keeping the 40 days of Lent. The Great Commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbour as yourself” (with the implication that caring for God’s earth is rolled into the bargain) so I’ve thought up 40 ideas for keeping Lent that appeal to the creative and literary, to the development of community and relationships, to promote social action, and to encourage ecological responsibility, as well as individual spiritual concerns. You could:
choose just one of these (such as writing a thank you note) and do it every day.
choose one category and repeat it throughout Lent.
choose one from each category to do throughout Lent.
agree with a group of friends, or with your congregation, on one or more of these to practice together.
(Dawn categorizes the 50 and offers ideas for each category)
Literary/media/arts
Social/community spirituality
Spirituality and prayer
Social action
Ecological/environmental – form a new habit in Lent to care for the earth.
Joy-inspiring spiritual practices
.
Read all the ideas here.