Lent Invitations

Prayer

Daily Candle Lighting Litany: Bring a focus to the season at mealtime with a simple centerpiece: a purple candle and any other simple decoration. Light the candle at the start of a meal. Or you could have 6 candles representing the 6 weeks of Lent. Each week, snuff out 1 candle as a way to mark the time. At mealtime, recite this litany or something similar:

Candle lighter: Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Response: And renew a right spirit within me.

Renew your commitment to some sort of Daily Lectionary Readings - put out on Slack, in the Prayer Book and here

Plant flower bulbs in a pot in your home. As you care for them and observe them, meditate on the mystery of death and growth, life beginning in the dark, searching for light, and bursting forth from the dirt.

Make a simple bracelet to wear throughout Lent as a reminder of your dependance on Christ.

Arrange formal confession with Father Brian

Practice a morning greeting before you get out of bed. Something like this:

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins

His mercy endures forever!

Practice a nightly examen:

Audio Examen: from Pray as You Go

Examen instructions

Choose a prayer from the Occasional Prayers section of the Prayer Book to focus on for the season (page 642...)

The Wonder of Easter: An Easter Journey for the Whole Family. A flexible devotional (different discussion suggestions based on age, 34 chapters, but if that's unrealistic just do the ones highlighted in grey, about 15) that walks the family through Luke's Gospel and parts of the the Old Testament to explore Christ's suffering and the limitless power of Easter. (**Note: this devotional would be suitable for the time of Lent & Eastertide.)

Looking Toward the Cross by Leighann Marquiss. Providing parents with a 5-minute devotion, followed by an optional object lesson, Looking Toward the Cross gives parents an easy-to-use resource focused on the ministry of Christ leading up to His death and resurrection.

To Understand Lent

Don't Miss Your Lent Lifeline: Reclaiming Lost Time During Lent - a fantastic blog post about how Lent can help us find our place in time, specifically amidst the disorientation of time that COVID has brought.

The Good of Giving Up - Anglican book on Lent - fantastic!

Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter by Laura Alary is a fantastic picture book for children that explains Lent in a way they can understand.

Lent: The journey from Ash Wednesday through Holy Week by Greg Goebel & Josh Steele

Almsgiving & Fasting

Each day of Lent, put something in a box to give away.
Eat low cost meals throughout Lent and put the money you save into a jar for a special cause.
Ask God what thing in your life you need a fast from: a certain food or drink, habit, social media, way of spending time, etc. and offer that sacrifice to Him the Lent. Share your intention with a friend.
Cover or remove signs of spring and life from your home. Put plants away, cover crosses, icons, and pictures with cloths. Think of this as a type of fasting. They will come again in glory, but for now intensify your anticipated joy by removing them from your vision. Their absence now makes their return on Easter Sunday a more powerful source of joy.
Limit your shopping to absolute necessities. Notice what arrises in you and respond as God leads.
Give up eating from restaurants. Donate the money you save to a worthy cause.
Visit, call or send a written note instead of text or email.
As much as possible, eat out of your pantry and freezer for Lent.
Turn off lights and devices after 8pm. Use candles.
Ask God to show you an individual or organization that needs financial support this Lent. Do what He says.