SortaCrunchy

40 Days of Community: A Journey Through Lent

This is the time of year when the powers-that-be at Google shuffle these my way:

Southern Baptist Lent

And it makes me smile.  I see you there.  I nod in acknowledgement.

We SBCers, we don't get to formally observe Lent together.  Those of us who take it up do so as individuals.  For the past several years, I've written about my experiences observing Lent both on my own and in a community of friends across the world, brought together by miracles of modernity.  (See the Lent category as well as the 40 Days of Joy for more on that.)

I began to know what my observance of Lent would look like this year quite a few months ago when I received a review copy of Common Prayer. 

The opening paragraphs of Common Prayer say this about the book and its purpose and use:

This is a different kind of book.  It's not a book to be picked up and read straight through.  In fact, this book is not designed to be read alone.  It is a book filled with songs, prayres, ideas, and memories that are meant to be spoken aloud and shared together in some form of community.  That community may be your biological family or a small group of friends.  It could be a gathering of folks in your public housing unit or your dorm room, in your village or cul-de-sac.  The early church met in homes and as congregations in local assemblies.  Whatever form your community takes, this is a book about "we," not "me."

I've been thinking about community a lot since I received the book.  I've been reading it mostly on my own, and the daily readings and prayers do a magnificent job of quenching my thirst for liturgy, but even still, a gnawing hunger for community remains.

And so I've been thinking about Lent a lot, too, in these day leading up to Ash Wednesday.  I've been thinking about how incredible it is that around the globe, believers come together in this forty day observance.  Details may differ, but they are united in purpose.

I love this description of Lent:

The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For me, the observation of Lent has been exactly that - a focused preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection.  Throughout the Lenten season, some people will give things up as a way to prepare while others will begin doing something new or needed.  I want to do all of that and more, and I want to invite you to come along with me for as little or as much of the journey as you would like.

From my persistent hunger, an idea was born: 40 Days of Community.  A time when we can join together through the spans of technology while being challenged to return to community in the most primal sense: face-to-face, breath-to-breath interaction and involvement with those around us who share the same space we fill.

Here is what the 40 Days of Community will look like:

1) The practice of common prayer and readings, three times a day.  We will use Common Prayer as a guide.  I'll more to say on this book on Monday, but even if you don't want to or cannot purchase the book, all of the materials are available at the Common Prayer website.

2) A weekly discussion of the prayer and readings for the week.  I think we will do this on Fridays.

3) A theme for each week that will direct how we will engage our own 3-D, face-to-face communities.  Each theme will bring a challenge to inspire your involvement in community that week.

4) An additional challenge for the 40 Days of Community will be to try to, once a week, share a meal with an individual or family with whom you have never shared a meal together before.

5)  All are invited to take part in a little or all of it! I know I have many readers who come from a variety of backgrounds.  Some participate in a spiritual faith, some don't.  Some are Christian and are active in one of many denominations, others are Jewish, and others are Muslim.  My observance of Lent will be, of course, focused on Jesus.  I want to make clear though that the 40 Days of Community focus is for each of us to intentionally, thoughtfully, and joyfully engage in the flesh-and-blood communities in which we live, no matter what your spiritual life may look like!

These will be the themes for each week:

March 9th - March 13th - Let's Be a Community
March 14th - March 20th - Community of Support
March 21st - March 27th - Community of Creation Care
March 28th - April 3rd - Community of Justice
April 4th - April 10th - Community of Compassion
April 11th - April 17th - Community of Service
April 18th - 23rd - HOLY WEEK

Thoughts?  Questions?  Comments?

I'm excited to share the coming weeks with you.  I cannot wait to hear what happens in our lives as we purpose to gather in prayer together three times a day for 40 days.  I cannot wait to hear how you will be changed by going forth into your communities, and how your communities will be changed by you!

 

7 Quick Takes: April 17th

I have hopes of at some point alternating Fridays between 7 Quick Takes and five senses friday (hosted by the lovely abby try again), but it somehow always seems to work out that I have far too many random thoughts to unload come Friday, and not enough space to make room for the five senses.  Maybe next week . . .

For now, behold the random:

<1> Firstly, I have to make apology for yesterday's confession.  In a world where parents bury their babies and little ones fight for life hour-by-heart-wrenching-hour and a nation has made rape legal within marriage (and these are just a few of the stories we hear about, countless other stories of heartbreak go untold), well, to be longing after a place to be creative rings of absurdity to me this morning.  I guess the confession within that confession is the revelation (again) that I am such The Spoiled American, the product of privilege steeped in ingratitude for all that I do have.  It strikes me that if my soul should be longing for anything, it should be Come Lord Jesus, Come.

<2> Thinking back a bit, I know I've not yet shared my thoughts on practicing Lent this year.  Lent was an amazing and powerful time for me, and I am deeply saddened that my denomination doesn't practice it corporately.  I'm somehow at a loss for how to explain what Lent did in my heart.  Closing comments was extremely good and healthy for me, helping me to examine a lot of heart issues that I don't often enough take time to allow up to the surface.  A beautiful surprise in closing comments were some of the private emails I got from friends and readers - some of whom I'd never "met" before!  Other regular commenters shared insights privately that they never would have said "out loud" in the comments.  But even if it weren't for those emails, I still would have been deeply blessed my the time I spent with comments closed.  In my own private life, I celebrated Lent in some unspoken ways that were also, indeed, powerful.

I am looking forward already to next Lenten season.  Easter most certainly did not sneak up on me this year, and my heart is so grateful for that most precious benefit of practicing Lent.

<3> Oh, our time with the Taviano family so deeply blessed us.  SO deeply.  I just cannot say enough what a delight it was to host them in our little hillybilly hotel.  Funny and fun and vibrant and just all manner of wonderful. Marla's report of their time here was just simply way, way too gracious.  We were remarkably simple hosts - Kyle did cook out (of course) and I did make guacamole but I should state for the record that we are guac simplists.  Our recipe is simply smashed avocado, lemon juice (or lime if the mood strikes), and salt to taste.  We were feeling sassy when the Tavianos were here so I stirred in a little sour cream, but oftentimes we leave that out.  Kyle likes his with some extra hot salsa stirred in, but that makes it all a bit complicated for me.

Oh, and The Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings?  As Kyle would say, the are absolutely punch-yourself-in-the-face ridiculously amazing.  Heaven help me. 

<4> I have some friends whose gift for creating and displaying beauty in their homes just never ceases to amaze me.  One such friend is the delightful Stephanie.  Take a little look at her spring shelf, won't you?  I come back to it time and again for inspiration.  So lovely, so sigh-worthy.  For some particular reason, I just wanted to make sure you met Stephanie today.

<5> A little while back, Missy shared her plan to celebrate The Year of Their Marriage.  In her plan, she included a link to the Forty Day Prayer Challenge.  Kyle and I decided to take the challenge, too, and I have to tell you - it has become a fixture in our morning routine.  Each morning before he walks out of the door, we stop for just a few minutes to pray for each other.  The only mornings we get a little lazy are on Saturdays as he is usually not heading out the door then.  I'm so glad she shared the link and the challenge.  It's doing mighty things in our marriage.

<6> The girls and I are happily a bit groggy this morning as we had a late, late night yesterday evening in the home of my dear and long-time friend Jaime.  Our beloved and beautiful friend Laura is home from California for just a bit and completing our fab four was our friend Andy who has landed in-state for a while, so Jaime opened her home to host an evening of Pei Wei take-out, choco-tastic brownies, political/social/spiritual discussion and much, much hysterical laughter.  The easy conversation that comes with friends for whom no background information or point-of-reference clarification is needed is what I have been craving for months.

As a bonus to the conversation with old friends was seeing my children play with Jaime's.  Our youngest two children are just a few months apart and we all noticed that viewing the two of them from behind - with their blonde locks that fall into perfect curls - well, they look more alike in some ways than AJ and Dacey do.  Jaime's Little Man and AJ shared popcorn and resisted sharing toys.  I tend to think that AJ repeated attempts to steal the soccer ball from Little Man are just her earliest efforts at flirting, as was Little Man's stealing of her popcorn and throwing it on the floor.  I could swear sparks flew.

What really made my heart soar was how famously Dacey and EB, Jaime's oldest, got along.  Peas. And. Carrots.  They were born just days apart and it was sheer delight to watch them enjoy each other's company.  EB was generous in her willingness to share everything from dress-up clothes to lip gloss to princess high heels.  As the evening wound down, both of them climbed up in a chair together and EB read quietly to Dacey while Dacey leaned in with intent listening to her every word.  I want to treasure that picture in my heart forever - these two girls whose mothers shared the emotional highs-and-lows of that first pregnancy, the weary, bleary newborn days, the hand-wringing and fretting that is the native tongue of the First Time Mom.  In spite of our obsessive worrying and second (and third) guessing our every decision with them, I have to say that they have grown to be quite lovely little ladies.  I think we are doing okay after all, don't you, friend?

<7> Oh, this may be my longest 7QT yet!  Just so much to say.  The girls and I have been in and out of town much of the week and that will continue on in to next week.  I haven't had the time to attend to comments like I usually try to, and for that, I am so very sorry.  Many apologies if comments and other emails have gone unanswered!  My inbox is spewing  with incomplete conversation.  A little madness in the Spring is wholesome even for the King - so says Ms. Emily Dickinson.  (There's a little Poetry Month goodness for ya!)  Our schedule feels a bit like madness at the moment, so I beg a measure of grace until things settle a little.

Stay tuned for more on marriage (a very special post coming up on that!), book reviews, giveaways, and more!

Happy Friday and may your weekend abound in blessing.

Holy Week: Friday

O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,

now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown:
how pale thou art with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn!

What thou, my Lord, has suffered
was all for sinners' gain; 
mine, mine was the transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place; 
look on me with thy favor,
vouchsafe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest friend,
for this thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end? 
O make me thine forever;
and should I fainting be, 
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for thee.

 

Text: O Sacred Head Now Wounded - Anonymous; trans. by Paul Gerhardt and James W. Alexander
Photo Credit: fazen 

Holy Week: Thursday

Communion

  The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, who is full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, ISV)

photo credit: khrawlings

Holy Week: Wednesday

Yesterday, Jo-Lynne wrote about Imperfect Christianity and it got me to thinking.  It called to my mind the perception of Christianity that grieves me so deeply:

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  They are so unlike your Christ.  -- Mohandas Gandhi

Like Jo-Lynne, I sometimes am overcome with grief for the ways I've acted that are so unlike Christ.  Whether in relationship with others or in the check-out line at the grocery store, I've acted in ways that surely have hurt my Savior deeply.

A dear and wonderful friend of mine shared with me her pastor's challenge for this week:  read the gospel of John from chapter fourteen through the end.  As I was reading in chapter fifteen, I noted in the midst of all of the lovely and mysterious imagery of vine and branches and words on remaining and abiding, Jesus gives a command to his disciples.  These are the last hours He will be cloaked in humanity, and He is pouring His heart out with everything He needs them to know before the arrest, the beatings, the Cross.  There in the imagery-heavy instructions and the passionate prayer, a command:

This is my command: Love each other.  (John 15:17)

This must have made a powerful impact on the apostle John, because later when he writes to the church, his letter brims with encouragement to love.

Love.

He reminds the early church that "this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another," and that "this is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers," and "Dear children, let us know love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:11, 16, 18)

So powerful, so deep, so life-changing was the way John saw Jesus live out love that in discipling the members of the early church, he reminds them when it all falls away, if we are to obey the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we are to live to please Him, we must love. 

Let's let this be the cure to the sickness within the church today.

Love, love, love.  More love.  Ask to be filled with it, let all that splashes out of you be filtered by it, when it hurts, when it seems pointless, when it is impossible, let there be more love.  Oh, that the only criticism that people around us can find would be, "those Christians are some crazy-loving fools!"

And this is the command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.  1 John 3:23

What will His love look like lived out in your life today?

photo credit: Daylight.

Holy Week: Tuesday

Stephanie (The Little Stuff of Life) is launching her Perfectly Poetical Tuesday celebration of all things poetic.  Today's poetry style is acrostic, and I have to admit, it's been years since I have written one of these!  I'm going to give it a try with something that has been on my mind since Sunday.

Humble colt, steady gait, spurred forward by the gentle touch of 
    the One in whom all things were created
Onward through the exuberant crowds of waving palms and 
    tangible expectancy.
Save now!
At once, both a plea for salvation and a cry of praise to the God 
    who saves.
Now! At last, our salvation!  Messiah, our Liberator, 
    the kingdom come!
Not one would understand that His freedom did not look like 
    their freedom, that what He called salvation was different 
    from what they called salvation. Yet, He is the Messiah, 
    the One long-expected. 
And He was righteous and mighty and holy and lowly 
    and riding on a donkey.

Holy Week: Monday

Rejoice, O people of Zion!
      Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
   Look, your king is coming to you.
      He is righteous and victorious,
   yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
      riding on a donkey’s colt.

   I will remove the battle chariots from Israel
      and the warhorses from Jerusalem.
   I will destroy all the weapons used in battle,

And your king will bring peace to the nations.      

   His realm will stretch from sea to sea
   and from the Euphrates River to the ends of  the earth.

Zechariah 9:9-10, NLT

7 Quick Takes: April 3rd

It seems like it has been a while since I rounded up the week's news and happenings in 7 Quick Takes form!  Lots of randomness to collect here today.

1.
First of all, many thanks for the kinds words on the blog redesign.  I'm telling you, all compliments go directly to Karen - she is fantastic to work with!  I personally think she should alter her design business to Simply Amazing Designs. 

2.
You all know I enjoy the dancing.  I am dancing the Joyful, Well-Rested Mama dance this morning because last night was a stellar night for sleep in the SortaCrunchy Casa.  I laid AJ down in her crib around 8:30 last night and she talked and played in there until close to 9.  She did not make a peep again until 6 this morning (!!!) and even then when back to sleep promptly after a quick mama milk snack.  She didn't wake up for the day until 8:30 which I am pretty sure is a new record for her.  Oh, God knew I had a monumental need for sleep last night, and I am thankful His hand of rest was on my sweet AJ.

I realize that all of that uninterrupted sleep may be quite the norm for most nearly 19-month-olds, but it is the source of great celebration for us!

3.
Fans of Life- do you think Detective Reese is dead?  Would you believe at the end of the "5 Quarts" episode I laid awake worrying about what was going to happen to her?  It's a sickness, this obsession.

4.
Lighter note ... I've had quite a few friends join Twitter in the past week.  I came across this Twitter Basics guide this week and wanted to share it.  My additions to this guide would be

#1  You don't HAVE to fill in your full name in your profile.  When you follow someone, they will get a notice that shows both your full name and your twitter screen name.  If you don't feel comfortable broadcasting your full name to every person you follow, choose to fill in that part of your profile with your screen name.
#2  Use a service like WeFollowto find interesting people to follow.  Maybe you'd like to follow @jimmyfallon or @nytimes or @etsy or @lancearmstrong or @mrskutcher but don't know where to find them?  WeFollow is a great place to start.
#3  Fridays are #followfriday when people share their own favorite people to follow.  This is a great way to find new people to follow!
#4  Use a third-party application!  I cannot imagine tweeting from my twitter home page.  Too confusing!  I would miss so much!  I love Tweet Deck, but there are others like Tweet Grid and Twhirl.

5.
April - I can't believe we are three days in already!  April is National Poetry Month.  My friend Stephanie at Little Stuff of Life is doing something fun to celebrate called Perfectly Poetical Tuesdays where you post what you would normally say - just in a poetical way!  I am so excited for this!  I think it's brilliant and I for sure will be participating.  More on Poetry Month stuff to come.

6.
Next week will be light on the posting because I have some real, non-virtual spring cleaning to do.  I don't think I've mentioned this but my new friend and amazing author Marla Taviano is making the SortaCrunchy Casa a stop on her Zoo Tour!!  I am just beside myself with excitement over meeting her, Gabe, and the girls.  But things must get ship-shape around here - and fast.

7.
Also, next week is Holy Week and my posts will be spiritual in nature. The same author who created Lent Activities for the Family has her Holy Week Devotions for the Family on sale this week.  Alternatively, you can find many great free resources at CatholicMom.com's Holy Week Guide.

Check out everyone else's 7 Quick Takes at Conversion Diary and as always, thank you to Jenn for hosting!

Enjoy your weekend!

Comments closed for Lent 09

7 Quick Takes: March 6th

We have a whirlwind of a weekend ahead of us, so I am going to try to make this really quick.  You know about how well that usually works, right?

1.
A bit of unpleasant housekeeping first.  In the past few weeks, something was brought to my attention that brings me some concern about my family's privacy on this blog.  I'm sorry to say that I'll be taking down the pictures of the girls.  Thanks for understanding that I feel this is the best choice for us for now.

2.
Much lighter (and more exciting) note - Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred is on its way here.  I am so terrified!  And excited!  But mostly terrified . . . in a good way.  After Dacey was born, I rode the lose-the-baby-weight-with-breastfeeding train with a mixture of glee and probably not just a little pride.  Oh, pride doth goeth before the fall from that train when it lurcheth to a stop.  Not only did the post-AJ weight loss stop a long time ago, an unfortunate climb upwards in my weight and waistline has been going on for months now.  Enter Jillian.  And the fear.  And the excitement.  Did I mention I am excited?

3.
All day yesterday, Dacey asked if summer was here now.  Wow, it sure felt like it was yesterday!  Sunshine and temps in the 80s!  Gorgeous!  We painted our toenails in celebration.  While we painted, we counted things in Spanish.  Dacey informed me that her favorite number in Spanish is ocho.  It occurred to me that I have been negligent in deciding upon my own favorite number in Spanish.  After a moment's thought, I said it has to be quince.  Quince. (15)  I like the way that feels.  Say it.  (non-speakers, that would be KEEN-say)  It's enjoyable and worthy of favoritism, I think.

4.
Several years back, not long after we started cloth diapering, I began using more cloth napkins, towels, and washcloths in the kitchen in lieu of paper towels and napkins.  We still keep a roll of paper towels in the kitchen, but mostly we try to use cloth as we find it to be less expensive and more effective.  In all of these years of using kitchen cloth, however, I've never found a great way to handle the laundry.  I was perusing the Mothering forums yesterday and found the link to this article at Tomato Soup Cake on Cloth In The Kitchen where she explains her kitchen cloth laundry system.  Very helpful read!

5.
I enjoy reading Chatting At The Sky (as many do - Emily was nominated for a 2008 Weblog Award for Best Small Blog), and in the comments on her post on stories and bokeh, I followed a link to the lovely Dina and A Worthy Life.  I enjoyed reading through several of her recent posts, but the one that infected my thoughts for several days was her essay on "my (stayathome) babe theory."  She writes on the "Babe Theory of political movements" and how her choice to be home raising and schooling her children might be a political statement in and of itself.  Then, she wonders, if "my own lackadaisical approach to my choice to be home is sabotaging the value of my example."  So many great, challenging, thought-provoking ideas on this essay - you must go read it for yourselves.  It's made me think quite a bit on the image I present daily - to my daughters, my husbands, my friends, and strangers - and wonder about the impact, or more correctly, the non-impact my choices are making on those around me.

6.
Several of you have emailed in the time since I started my Lent fast from comments and site stats.  Nearly every email contained some kind of apology in advance in case emailing somehow caused me to break my Lent fast.  Truly, it does not.  The purpose of this fast was never to cut off communication between myself and my readers and friends.  For me, the fasting from comments is merely a response to the problem that builds in my heart from time to time regarding comments on a post.  I get to the point of seeking acceptance and affirmation in the response of readers.  A carefully crafted post that receives very little feedback can send me into a funk.  Another post that might be deluged with comments (and for me, anything over ten comments is a virtual flood!), and I'll soar with giddiness.  I know that for me, this should not be.  I am accepted by my Heavenly Father because of who I am in my Beloved, my Savior (see Ephesians 1:6), not because of the number of comments a transitory blog post might receive.  I am affirmed in my worth because of the work of the Cross, not because of receiving X number of hits on any given day.  Refocusing my thoughts on this truth - this is the path of this fast.  If you feel led to email, please do without any guilt.  I'd be thrilled to "talk."

7.
Jenn's baby girl is here and she is gorgeous!  Glory to God for the gift of new life, and for the power of being open to life.

Enjoy the weekend, friends.  Read the Quick Takes of others here today.

Comments closed for Lent 09.

7 Quick Takes: February 27th

I am hesitant to even post today as I am not sure I have anything to say that comes close to being relevant or having worth, yet that has never stopped me before, has it?

Here we go:

1.
You know how when you first start Weight Watchers and you are keeping track of every. single. bite. and after the first day you think, "My gosh! I had no idea I was eating so much!"  That's how I am feeling about my Sitemeter fast.  I had no ideahow many times I would peek in on the stats, mostly just out of sheer curiosity as to who was stopping by and where they were coming from.  It gives me a much better idea of who is reading and when than my comments do.  This feels very strange.  I could quite literally be talking into an utter vacuum right now.  Odd.

2.
AJ is going through that stage of Mommy Possessiveness.  She cannot bear for me to hold other babies, whether it's my niece or a friend's little one . . . she even gets mad (truly angry) when I hold and cuddle Dacey!  I think it is so amusing and quite funny, actually, that in her toddler mind, I belong to her and her alone.  There's probably some kind of deep spiritual connection I could make in that statement, but I haven't enough coffee yet to go there.

3.
Speaking of AJ, the weather dared to turn warm this week and taunt us with the promise of spring to come, so I have spring/summer clothes for the girls on my mind.  I went up to our spare bedroom/storage room/disaster area to see what I have in the way of 24 month clothes for her.  I opened an unmarked tub and immediately thought, "Oh this must be the 3T tub.  I know I JUST put these clothes away."  Nope!  It was the 24 month/2T tub alright!  Oh my goodness, it has been so bittersweet to go through these clothes that it seems I was dressing Dacey in just yesterday.

4.
You know, on my About Page, I attempt to further define "sorta crunchy" as "sorta granola," but would you believe I've never made granola myself?  I'm so ashamed.  I also rarely buy granola because it's so stinkin' expensive, but I picked up a box on sale last week and Kyle and I devoured the whole thing in less than two days.  So we're gonna mix up more for ourselves here in the cottage.  I've found that granola recipes abound (tell me again why I haven't been making this from scratch all along?  Because I'm lazy?  Oh yes, that's right), and as I was reading the lovely and inspiring anah na uwr I came across her recipe for granola, and so I think we'll start here.

5.
Speaking of making from scratch, I was cajoled motivated by Dacey to fix pizza last night, even though it wasn't really on the menu plan.  We always use my mother-in-law's scrumptious pizza crust recipe, but I normally use store-bought sauce from the jar.  (again with the lazy) We didn't have any on hand last night, but I had tomato sauce and paste on hand.  Chef Google rescued me with this delish-sounding recipe, and it did not disappoint.  We had no fresh tomatoes on hand, but I did have some petite diced tomatoes in a can and those worked splendidly.  I highly recommend.

6.
I think I will go ahead with branching off with a photography blog, mostly just for the purpose of recording growth in the hobby and posting helpful articles I come across.  I am at a loss on what to call it.  Ideas?  Email me at sortacrunchy at gmail dot com.

7.
Finally, next Monday Jenn of Conversion Diary welcomes baby number four.  If you haven't yet, please take a moment to read her thoughts on how fulfilled her life has become since she and her husband have chosen to be open to life.  "Children are only burdens when they are theoretical."  Mmmm-hmmm.  Good stuff there.  I know you will be blessed.  My prayers will be with you, Jenn, throughout the weekend and into the big day!

Others are sharing their 7 Quick Takes here.  Great weekend reading!

Comments closed during Lent 09