Next week, we’ll move into the season of Lent. The word Lent derives from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” Others say that Lent is an Old English word that means lengthen - referring to the time of year in which the days grow longer. Lent emerged in the 300s shortly after the Council of Nicea — and I love what Barbara Brown Taylor1 has to say about it: the custom of spending 40 days in prayer and self-denials did not arise until later, when the initial rush of Christian adrenaline was over and believers had gotten very ho-hum about their faith.
Last year2 I wrote this about the coming season:
Lenten means spring, it is an invitation not only to usher in the actual season but a springtime for the soul. It is a time of renewal. It is forty days for us to cleanse ourselves and begin anew. Forty days to be uncomfortable and to willingly journey into the wilderness. Forty days to live by grace toward a new beginning. It is not a requirement or a commandment. Lent, if we choose to receive it, is a gift.
Though I did not grow up observing Lent, for many years now, I’ve given at least some thought to how I want to spend the 40 days leading up to Easter. I’ve taken the “give things up” route, the “focus on my kids” route, and even the “make a plan and do nothing” route. I’m looking for a different way to move through the season this year. Maybe this is my word for the year3 trickling in, but I don’t really feel like giving anything up or leaning into penance. I’m looking for a springtime for the soul - a season of renewal.
In looking for resources for a different kind of Lent I ran across an essay titled: Lent: A Season of Baptismal Storytelling4. In the essay, it mentions that The United Methodist Book of Worship states that Lent began as a time of preparation for baptism and, over time, changed into a time of penance for all believers.
Lent is the last stretch of winter —the last few weeks of darkness. Kelley Nikondeha5 writes - One thing you can do in the dark is light a candle. Another is tell a story. You know I’m lighting candles, so to finish strong this winter, we’re going to tell stories inspired by the essay I mentioned above.
As we wait for the light to return, as we wait for Easter, for resurrection, for new life, we’ll spend the next six weeks telling stories. We’ll answer together: How did you come to the waters? and Where has the Spirit taken you since that day?
It won't be me each week, but guest writers and friends I can’t wait to introduce you to. You may not resonate with everything you read, and that is okay, even the point. Storytelling is a window into another perspective, another way of viewing the world. Storytelling connects us to experiences we might otherwise never encounter. These stories will remind us that there are as many expressions of life with God as there are people. I hope you’ll join us in the next several weeks, and I’d love to hear from you too! How did you come to the waters? Where has the spirit taken you since that day?
Links & Spiritual Direction News
Mark your calendar for my next mini-retreat: Preparing for Lent & Easter on Tuesday, February 13th from 11:30 am - 1 pm CT. If you are interested in joining, reply to this email or send me a note at hollyporterphillips@gmail.com. Similar to my advent retreat, this will be a spacious time to prayerfully consider how you would like to enter the seasons of Lent and Easter. This retreat will be donation-based. If you’re not able to make the retreat, and would like a guided pdf for reflection subscribe to my substack, send me a quick email and I’ll get it over to you!
I currently have space available for new directees. If spiritual direction is something that you or someone you know might be interested in, please reach out — I can be contacted at hollyporterphillips@gmail.com. I’ve written here a little about what spiritual direction is, if you’d like to know more!
Grieving Room: Making Space for All the Hard Things After Death and Loss by Leanne Friesen came out this week and it has been such a gift to me.
From: Home by Another Way by Barbara Brown Taylor
From: The First Advent in Palestine by Kelley Nikondeha