Friday Five: Mid-Lent Check-In

Sophia writes:

The pastor of my grad school parish once gave a fascinating reflection, at about this mid-point in the season, called “How to Survive the Mid-Lent Crisis”! As I recall, his main point was that by halfway through the season we have often found it very challenging to live up to our original plans….But, he suggested–on the analogy of the healing and reframing of our life plans that can happen during a mid-*life* crisis–that that can be even more fruitful.

So here’s an invitation to check in on the state of your spirit midway through “this joyful season where we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed” (Roman Missal). Hopefully there’s a good deal of grace, and not too much crisis, in your mid-Lenten experience!

1. Did you give up, or take on, anything special for Lent this year?

First, can I just ask how it got to be MID-Lent? Geez. Anyway, I didn’t give anything up. I have a book I read during Lent every year that I’m reading again this year.

2. Have you been able to stay with your original plans, or has life gotten in the way?

Pretty much stayed with it.

3. Has God had any surprising blessings for you during this Lent?

I have been so much more stable and centered than I have been in the last few months. I am generally clearer and not as frayed. Loving it. I’m trying to figure out some other good reading material for the rest of the year. I’m thinking about some of the “40 days” series. Anyone have any other suggestions?

4. What is on your inner and/or outer agenda for the remainder of Lent and Holy Week?

Inner agenda is to continue on and try to make more space for listening, especially during Holy Week. Outer agenda is to try to slow the roll of my schedule over the next few weeks and then I’ll be leading some services, which I love.

5. Where do you most long to see resurrection, in your life and/or in the world, this Easter?

Great question, and I have another post brewing on this so I won’t go so much into it now. Recently there have been some surveys come out on the decline of evangelical Christianity in the US and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so happy to see that oppressive system dying and I long to see a resurrection of the true church that God intended.