The start of another Lent

It’s the first Sunday of Lent.

The Opening Collect for today’s Mass reads:

Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

I find this prayer comforting today as we start a new Lenten season in our lives. No matter how many Lents we have lived, we always have the opportunity to grow in our understanding of Christ and to know Him better. There is an invitation in the Lenten season to make space for God, to prune out distractions and spend more time in prayer.

In the effort to make more space for God, sometimes we need to look at something in a new way, or change a practice that has become a habit in our lives. This can be as true for our community's worship as it is for our individual prayer. This season, we will have a hymn after Communion each Sunday, but there will not be a closing hymn. We will leave in silence after Mass. You are invited to stay and pray in the church after Mass for as long as you like. Soak in the silence and see what happens…maybe adding a few minutes of silent prayer after Mass can become part of your Lenten practice this year.

A Prayer for the New Year

Sometimes, as the festivities of Christmas are ending and the decorations are coming down, life can feel a little blah. People are going back to their work and school routines, making resolutions (and breaking them, in some cases!), and there are still months to go until spring. What are we supposed to do with ourselves if we feel restless in these long months?

One thing that can be helpful is to try out a new prayer practice. I’d like to share one that might be new to you. It can be said sitting down or kneeling, lying in bed or walking, driving or waiting in line. It goes like this:

Be.

Be still.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Try taking a breath in before each line and then exhaling while saying the words of that line. It can be a helpful way to re-center and focus in the middle of the day or when feeling anxious, bored, or stressed.

Merry Christmas!

Before I took the music and liturgy position at Saint Benedict’s last fall, I asked around about the congregation’s singing. Everyone told me what a strong singing tradition this parish had. One of the hardest things about last Christmas here was not being able to hear all of your voices singing your favorite carols. All year long, I’ve hoped and prayed for the time when we’d all be able to sing those Christmas songs together–I just knew you all would raise the roof with joyful singing.

I wasn’t wrong! Thank you for the wonderful celebration we’ve had so far and the parts each of you have played in preparing the church for the season, lighting candles, receiving visitors, shepherding children, proclaiming the word, participating in the responses, leading the music, assisting with Communion, running the slides and the sound system, bringing up the gifts, covering all of us and our priests in prayer, and generally being a joyous and welcoming presence to everyone who comes to Saint Benedict’s this Christmas. I am truly grateful to be among you and feel so fortunate to work here.

The best part about our Christmas celebration, though? It’s just getting started. The Christmas season officially runs on for a while. For eight days, we have the octave of Christmas, each day of which is just as much Christmas as December 25. Then the Christmas season continues on through Epiphany, finally ending with the Baptism of Our Lord on January 9. So leave up your Christmas tree and keep singing those carols, just like we’ll be doing here at church. We’ve been waiting for Christmas for a long time, and now it’s time to celebrate! Grace and peace to each of you and to your families this season.