Alleluia – Christ has risen, He has risen indeed!
Our 40 days of Lent for 2020 is over, and our Caring Lent invitation is at an end.
We are now in the Easter “season”. The 7 weeks after Easter that ends with Pentecost. This is a time for joy, celebrations and renewal. (A little history here😊) An excerpt from the Companion to the Book of Common Worship (Geneva Press, 2003, 117)
“For seven weeks, a week of Sundays, we acclaim the resurrection of Christ by the power of God. The period of seven weeks of jubilation can be traced back to its Jewish roots of the fifty days celebrated from the day after Passover to Shavuot (Feast of Weeks, Exodus 23:16). For Jews, the Feast of Weeks closed the season of harvest, which had been initiated by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In a similar manner, early Christians observed a fifty-day period of celebration from Easter to the Day of Pentecost. To underscore the uninterrupted rejoicing of these fifty days, fasting and kneeling in prayer were forbidden at least as early as the end of the second century. On the pentecoste (“fiftieth”) day, not only was the fifty-day period concluded, but a festival with its own proper content was celebrated. The Jews observed a feast of covenant renewal and eventually commemorated the giving of the Law. Christians celebrated the gift of the Spirit as preparing the way for the day of the Lord. What Moses and the Law did for the Jewish community, the Holy Spirit now does for the community of Christ.”
I found this so interesting that I wanted to share it with you!
How was this week for you? Were you able to try any of our suggestions/invitations? Here is my experiences.
April 6 asked us to focus on our food. Mindfully enjoy the textures and flavors of what we ate. One thing that I have noticed, now that we are eating safely at home together, is that we are sitting down to meals together again. We are also taking more time to prepare the food and to eat the food. I really enjoy meals more this way.(I have to admit that I am also missing on eating out and am looking forward to doing it again soon!)
April 7 invited us to try a new yoga move or position today. Do you have a favorite yoga position? I enjoy the cat and cow positions. Easy to do, and a wonderful stretch. When my son was young, he created a new yoga pose, the French fry. You just lie on your back with your arms at your side and lay still like a potato! That’s my boy!!
April 8 asked us to show God's special love to someone who needs it today. We have so many around us who need a little attention. A text, email, card, phone call. Who did you reach out to this week? Was this special person you? Maybe you were the one who needed a little special love.
April 9 suggested that we feed the birds and relax as we watch them enjoying the meal. I know that this sounds crazy but, we have no bird food in our house, so we have been feeding the squirrels. I love watching them eating the nuts and they really seem to enjoy them. My husband reminded me that the last time we fed the squirrels some of them ended up in our house and we had to chase them out. It was crazy and wild! But what is life if it isn’t a little crazy and wild sometimes. I am choosing to live dangerously!
April 10 invited us to play a game today. I chose to play a computer game - by myself. I did this because I wanted to do something all by myself, alone. I enjoyed the game a little too much and for a little too long. Oh well, we all need some down time!
April 11 was a day in which there was no complaining or negative talk. Not about yourself or anyone else. This was very hard for me. I think I was given the gift of judgement and a basic critical nature. I tried my best, and did pretty well, but, alas I was not perfect. So I am going to embrace something that someone told me, and that is, “good enough is good enough”! At least I tried.
As we finish this season of Lent, we hope that you were able to take some time to care for yourself, for your community and for the environment. We hope that you continue to do some of these suggestions moving forward. The key is to make a choice to do these things.
Peace and hope!
Comments