Do you participate in Lent? If so, how are you participating in Lent this year?
I did not grow up “doing” Lent in my family or church. My mom certainly made Easter a special celebration but I didn’t hear about Lent until I became an adult. Now, I seek for ways to incorporate it into my life each year, even if I don’t do it in the traditional way.
The following is an article I wrote reflecting on the first year we celebrated Lent. Would love to hear your thoughts if you have incorporated Lent into your preparation for Easter too. Has it changed the way you celebrate?
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I cut dogwood limbs from the tree in the front yard. Knobby grey buds are still tight, not yet ready to open. Taking my distressed blue stool that my husband found discarded along the side of the road, I tuck it into a corner of the dining room. Pulling my earthenware pitcher down from the shelf, I place it on the stool. The dogwood limbs go into the jug, along with some water.
The branches are now ready to decorate. We’re getting ready for Easter.
I’d already downloaded Ann Voskamp’s An Easter Devotional: Trail to the Tree from her blog. I’d cut out all the reproductions of great master’s paintings and mounted them on some card stock. Then I’d punched holes and strung ribbon. Ornaments depicting the various scenes of the Passion were ready and waiting to be hung on the dogwood branches.
In the evening we read Scripture that pertains to the Passion and hang the corresponding “ornament” on the tree. My three-year-old boys look forward to examining the pictures and taking turns hanging the cards on the tree.
It’s our first time celebrating Lent.
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