Setting and Respecting Boundaries

What's something that we like when we have them, but we dislike when others have them? 

Boundaries.

Some of us struggle to enforce our boundaries, which may lead to us resenting the people not respecting our boundaries. 

Some of us struggle to respect the boundaries of others, which may lead to them resenting us for not respecting their boundaries.

It can be hard when we set a boundary and it is not respected. When this happens, we are faced with a choice: we can let our boundary be disregarded, we can explode in anger at the person disrespecting our boundaries, we can continue to enforce our boundary, or we can remove ourselves from the situation. 

We learn a lot about a person based on how they respond to "no". If they try to convince us to change our mind, they are acting in a manipulative manner. If they throw a hissy fit to get us to capitulate, they are showing themselves to be childish. If they resort to mockery and sarcasm, they are willing to use their words to hurt others to get their way. If they use the silent treatment and the cold shoulder, they are showing that their love and friendship is dependent on them getting what they want. 

Tips for respecting other's boundaries: 

-Accept their "no" without complaining, arguing, pouting, or trying to change their mind.

-Acknowledge that it takes courage to set a boundary and they set a good boundary.

-Don't try to trouble-shoot and solve the "problem". Some people will give an excuse for why they can't do something, when they really mean "no, I don't want to do that". When we try to solve their problem, we are forcing them to be more direct than their comfort level. 

-Don't demand a reason for their answer. They do not have to justify themselves or explain their position. 

Tips for setting and enforcing your boundaries: 

-Be polite, but firm. "Thank you, but no".

-Don't feel obligated to give reasons for your no.

-Ask them to respect your decision, and by extension, you as well.

-Tell them this is your boundary and if they can't respect it, your alternative is taking space from them 

Fasting and Feasting: Week 6

Fast from hatred.

Feast with peace.

What does our fasting vice mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this vice? 

Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of exhibiting this vice? 

What are the circumstances when you display this vice? 

How is the Holy Spirit guiding you to fast from this vice? 

How might you continue to fast from it after Lent is over? 

What does our feasting virtue mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this virtue? 

How has the Holy Spirit cultivated this virtue in you? 

Fasting and Feasting: Week 5

Fast from fits of rage.

Feast with gentleness.

What does our fasting vice mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this vice? 

Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of exhibiting this vice? 

What are the circumstances when you display this vice? 

How is the Holy Spirit guiding you to fast from this vice? 

How might you continue to fast from it after Lent is over? 

What does our feasting virtue mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this virtue? 

How has the Holy Spirit cultivated this virtue in you? 

Fasting and Feasting: Week 4

Fast from idolatry.

Feast with faithfulness.

What does our fasting vice mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this vice? 

Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of exhibiting this vice? 

What are the circumstances when you display this vice? 

How is the Holy Spirit guiding you to fast from this vice? 

How might you continue to fast from it after Lent is over? 

What does our feasting virtue mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this virtue? 

How has the Holy Spirit cultivated this virtue in you? 

Fasting and Feasting: Week 3

Fast from selfish ambition. 

Feast with self-control.

What does our fasting vice mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this vice? 

Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of exhibiting this vice? 

What are the circumstances when you display this vice? 

How is the Holy Spirit guiding you to fast from this vice? 

How might you continue to fast from it after Lent is over? 

What does our feasting virtue mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this virtue? 

How has the Holy Spirit cultivated this virtue in you? 

Fasting and Feasting: Week 2

Fast from jealousy and envy. 

Feast with joy. 

What do our fasting vices mean? 

Look them up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about these vices? 

Search for each word individually.

Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of exhibiting these vices? 

What are the circumstances when you display these vices? 

How is the Holy Spirit guiding you to fast from these vices? 

How might you continue to fast from them after Lent is over? 

What does our feasting virtue mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this virtue? 

How has the Holy Spirit cultivated this virtue in you? 

Fasting and Feasting: Week 1

For those who need a refresher on Galatians 5:19-23, please read it over it. There are 15 vices and 9 virtues packed into these 5 verses. 

Fast from discord, dissensions, and factions. 

Feast with kindness.

What do our fasting vices mean? 

Look them up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about these vices? 

Search for each word individually.

Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of exhibiting these vices? 

What are the circumstances when you display these vices? 

How is the Holy Spirit guiding you to fast from these vices? 

How might you continue to fast from them after Lent is over? 

What does our feasting virtue mean? 

Look it up in the dictionary. 

What does the Bible say about this virtue? 

How has the Holy Spirit cultivated this virtue in you? 

Fasting and Feasting during Lent

Welcome to Lent. Lent is a period of fasting that runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (before Resurrection Sunday aka Easter). While Lent involves 40 days of fasting, there are actually 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Resurrection Sunday. That is because the 6 Sundays of Lent are not meant to be fasting days; Sundays are for feasting. 

The purpose of fasting is to grow closer to God. We give up something, so we can focus on Him more. Lent isn't about denying ourselves to make ourselves miserable. We deny ourselves food, non-essentials, or actions so that we can give more of our time, energy, and money to God. 

In the Bible, fasting was almost exclusively about giving up food, but in our culture that shies away from depriving ourselves of anything, fasting from social media and other non-food habits is common. 

For more information on fasting, you can read these posts: 2021, 2021 (series), 2018, and 2013. 

For this Lent, I am recommending a two-pronged approached.

1. Fasting

      A. Fast from non-essential foods. (Essential foods include fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy).

      B. Fast from vices. We will be looking at vices mentioned in Galatians 5:19-23

2. Feasting

      A. Feast with a special treat on Sundays. Share your treat with those around you. 

      B. Feast with virtues. We will be looking at virtues mentioned in Galatians 5:19-23

How will you fast during Lent? 

How will you feast on Sundays? 

Special Feature: Fasting and Feasting A Lenten Adventure Jar

The third featured jar is the Fasting and Feasting: A Lenten Adventure Jar. 

This jar comes with 14 sticks and a book that explains each fasting and feasting idea in more detail. 

The 7 red sticks are for fasting. 

The 6 purple sticks are for Sunday feasting. 

The 1 yellow stick is for feasting on Easter. 

Each stick has an idea on one side and a blank idea tag on the other side. So if one idea isn't your "cup of tea", you can write your own idea on the back.

This date idea jar is $7. 

You can use either link below to contact me about purchasing this jar. 
https://sites.google.com/view/lizscreationsdateideas/home
https://www.facebook.com/LizCreationsDateIdeas

Diving Deeper in Ordinary Time

We are currently in the longest season of the Church Year. This season consists of 25 Sundays of the year. (That's not counting the 6 Sundays in the Epiphany season of Ordinary Time). I touched on the basics of Ordinary Time on my blog back in 2012 (see this post here) and went a little more in-depth in this post here. Fun fact, some denominations split this season of Ordinary Time into two parts (before Reformation Sunday and After Reformation Sunday). 

In essence, Ordinary Time is a season to focus on our faith as we dive into different aspects of it, particularly our missions outreach and discipleship. The "Ordinary" comes from "Ordinal" meaning Counted. Green is the color for this season

This site here covers the basic focus, mood, and symbols or Ordinary Time. This site here gives three ways to observe this season, as we reconsider how our ordinary activities can be moments to commune with God. This site here does a good summarizing the focus and purpose of Ordinary Time. This site here reminds us that Ordinary Time is the season for celebrating the work we do for God, both in big and small ways, as we focus on the Great Commission, living in community, and reminding ourselves of God's faithfulness. 

During this bout of Ordinary Time, I will be diving deeper into Romans 12 here on my blog. I love this chapter of Romans and have often thought that going through it verse by verse (or rather sentence by sentence or thought by thought) would be a good idea. There is so much to chew on in that chapter!!

Ordinary Time does not have to mean dull or boring. In a culture that rushes after the feast days and spurns both the fast days and the Ordinary days, we can choose to live differently. Instead of following the tide of our culture, looking for something big, exciting, or new, we can choose to faithfully be discipled by the Holy Spirit, as we allow ourselves to be molded into most Christ-like individuals. This isn't something that is studied into being, but rather it is something that comes from faithfully putting it into practice. We tend to view our faith as an exam we cram for. We act like if we know the right facts, we will live the right way. But a better analogy might be learning to play an instrument or practicing a martial arts. We live the right way through practice and imitation as what is new and uncomfortable becomes something familiar and ultimately second nature to us. 

What will you dive deeper into this season? 

Remembering the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

Right after Trinity Sunday (at least this year since Trinity Sunday is the Sunday after Pentecost, which is 50 days after Easter which is a holiday that is on a different Sunday each year) is the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. 

This site here has a good history of this feast day. In essence, according to this site here, this feast day marks the meeting of two women with miraculous pregnancies getting together and praising God. This site here has a good homily on the Visitation. This site here has good information, but I am linking it because of the Mary/Elizabeth picture that is absolutely stunning. This site here gives seven suggestions/lessons from this holy day.  

To be honest, this is a new holy day for me to learn about. Being of the Protestant persuasion means that this holiday has not really been emphasized in the churches I have attended. 

Suggested Activities: 

Plan: Look through the sites referenced above for background knowledge and ideas for your family and church. 

Read: Luke 1:39-56, paying special attention to Mary's interactions with Elizabeth. 

Decorate & Feast: If time and resources permit, why not decorate and feast like it's a baby shower? Have baby carrots and baby spinach, as well as any other baby-themed foods you can think of. Find some pictures online of Mary and Elizabeth meeting for some of the decorations. Better yet, any baby-themed things you buy for this holy day celebration, find a new mother or a pregnancy organization to donate them to afterwards. 

Contemplate: What might have Mary and Elizabeth talked about during Mary's visit? 

Observing Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday in the greater length of Ordinary Time (more on this season of the church year next week). 

This site here has a bit of the history of Trinity Sunday (both from the Bible and general church history). It discusses symbols to represent the Holy Spirit. Unlike many Church feasts and fasts, which celebrate a person or an event, this feast day is to celebrate the doctrine of the Trinity. 

This site here has a lectionary (prayers and Scripture readings) for Trinity Sunday. This site here has more lectionary and hymn ideas.  This site here has a worship leaflet, as well as suggestions for decorations and foods. 

Trinity Sunday is a feast day to remember and discuss the mystery of the Trinity. This site here has a lot of triple food ideas, as well as food that can be cut into triangles. 

Suggested Activities: 

Plan: Look through the sites referenced above for ideas that would work for your family and church. 

Read: Find Scripture passages that talk about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit/Ghost. 

Decorate: Green is the color of Ordinary Time, so try to wear green clothes, set out green decorations, and eat green foods. 

Feast: This is a feast day, so be sure to include special foods in your Sunday meals. Bonus points for including naturally green foods. Alternatively, set out tri-color foods and cut your food into triangles when possible. 

Contemplate: Reflect on the Trinity. Consider the attributes of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 

5/23: Ending Eastertide, Celebrating Pentecost

Pentecost marks the end of Eastertide. Throughout the season of Eastertide, we have contemplated how the small, ordinary things can point us to God. Pentecost is a holy day in the Church Year, but it is also a season. This season is actually referred to as Ordinary Time, but more on that in a later post. 

Pentecost, in essence, is when Christians remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Early Christians. It has been viewed as the "birthday of the church" and feast day. Fun fact, Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast. In the Old Testament, it is translated as the feast of weeks or the feast of harvest, but in Greek, it was called Pentecost. For more on the Jewish history of this Christian holy day, you can check out this site here, this site here, and this other site here. The reason so many people from so many places were in Jerusalem was for this Jewish feast. It was one of the three holy days that required Jews to travel to Jerusalem. 

Celebrating Pentecost at Home: This site here and this one here each have 5 ways Pentecost can be celebrated at home. Our celebration doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate to be meaningful. This site here has more ideas for celebrating at home. They encourage utilizing the wind in our celebrations. This site here has more of a prayer service/liturgy for Pentecost that can be done at home. 

Celebrating Pentecost at Church: This site here covers the biblical basis for Pentecost and has a lot of ideas (including many craft ideas) on how Pentecost can be celebrated at church. (I loved their idea on reading part of Acts 2 in many different languages). This site here has some ideas for celebrating Pentecost as a Church. Since Pentecost is viewed as the Church's birthday, they recommend serving cake. 

Suggested Activities: 

Plan: Look through the sites referenced above for ideas that would work for your family and church. 

Read: Acts 2 is the story of Pentecost, so it can be read and discussed. 

Decorate: Red is the color of Pentecost, so try to wear red clothes, set out red decorations, and eat red foods. 

Feast: This is a feast day, so be sure to include special foods in your Sunday meals. Bonus points for including naturally red foods. 

Contemplate: Reflect on the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit as we remember the Spirit coming to guide us. 

Observing Eastertide

Eastertide is the season from Easter through Pentecost. It is a 50 day period of time (including Sundays) that continues the celebration of the Resurrection. It includes both Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday, before we progress to "Ordinary Time", but more on that later. There are 8 Sundays in Eastertide, but Easter & Pentecost are pretty busy as it is.

Rather than putting away Easter decorations the day after Easter, take time to revel in this season.

Go on walks and notice the trees budding and the flowers blooming.

Consider how you can remember, incorporate, and practice the resurrection. 

Reflect on ways you have seen life come after death, such as mushrooms growing on a fallen tree. 

Keep a record of things you are thankful for. Write it as a thank you note to God to give Him the credit for the good in your life. 

After the fasting of Lent, consider observing a practice for the 50 days of Eastertide to celebrate, express joy, or experience freedom. (Be sure that your practice remains a source of joy and does not become a burden or a duty). 

A quick online search of "Eastertide practices" will bring up a host of suggestions. This post has 6 ideas to be practiced over Eastertide. This one recommends focusing on a theme for the 50 days as a congregation. This post encourages people to focus on observing the Sabbath and practicing compassion. This one recommends cultivating the practice of sharing with others in Eastertide and beyond. 

There is often a focus in our culture on the big deeds, the showy actions, the spectacular sacrifices, but during this Eastertide, we will focus on the small things, the seemingly mundane, and the ordinary things. 

Like in a relationship, something big and spectacular can make you feel valued and cared for, but what keeps the relationship growing and in good health, are the small, daily acts of love that you show to your spouse. Yes, it is wonderful to be whisked away to a bed & breakfast and be taken on a night-time horse-drawn carriage ride, but the small things nourish the relationship over time. Some examples include: 

• Greeting your spouse with a smile when they come home from work. 
• Cooking a dish they enjoy eating. 
• Treating your spouse with respect through your tone, body language, and words. 
• Giving your spouse a hug after a hard day. 
• Going on a walk with your spouse even when you're tired. 

These kinds of little things continually whisper a reminder to your spouse that you love them and cherish them. These things may not be expensive, but they cost us our time, our preferences, and our effort each day. They require us to die to ourselves and our preferences as we seek to love, respect, and serve our spouse. 

So we will look at 6 small, mundane things during the weeks of Eastertide. We will consider how these things will breath life into our lives and those around us, through the small acts of faithfulness over time. 

How will you observe the full season of Eastertide? 

Celebrating on Easter Sunday

It's Resurrection Sunday! We celebrate Jesus' resurrection, as well as His victory over death and evil. In the ancient church, this was when new converts (as well as those returning to the fold), would be baptized and become full members after multiple years of education about the faith. In the past, there would be all-night vigils from Saturday night until Sunday morning. Nowadays, some Christians have a service from 10pm Saturday until 1am Sunday, with a communion service at midnight. Easter is not a day, as many in the Church believe, but it is a season that runs from Resurrection Sunday up through Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter). This site here has a lot of the history of Easter and how it has been celebrated.

Today, we will read from Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16:1-12, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20. (By all means, we can read all of Matthew 28 and Mark 16 to also get Jesus' Commission, as well as all of Luke 24, to read about Jesus' other appearances and His ascension into heaven, but the selections above focus on His resurrection.)

How is our celebration of Resurrection Sunday different from a secular celebration of Easter? If we drew a vinn diagram, how much similarities would there be between a secular person's and religious person's expenditures, activities, and celebrations? It is a worthy question to carefully weigh our answer.

Our culture has turned Easter into an overly-commercialized day of gluttony and self-indulgence. Rather than viewing our actions as avoiding the bunnies, chicks, marshmallow sweets, eggs, and other commercialized money traps, we can reclaim Holy Week as a time of church traditions instead of store purchases. 

Sure, we can twist Christian meaning into the commercialization of this set of Holy Days, but are we really showing ourselves to be different from the world by our activities and purchases? If we put a chocolate cross into a basket instead of a bunny, are we really being that different from the world? Should a chocolate version of Jesus' execution implement be sold as candy? If we have the same Easter baskets, egg hunts, and celebrations with just a few extra sentences about the Christian veneer we are painting over these secular traditions, are we showing ourselves to be different from the world? 

I think there are plenty of resources that show ways to "Christianize" secular Easter traditions, but it is my hope that as the Church we spend more time focusing on the sacred and religious traditions that are the Church's special way of celebrating and commemorating this holy day. Using Christianized secular traditons and reading Christian meaning into secular objects can be a good way to build a bridge with our non-Christians friends and relatives as we use their objects to point to Christ, but we could question their place in the Church and in the lives of Christians. 

How will you celebrate this Resurrection Sunday?

Quietly Waiting on Holy Saturday

Welcome to Easter Eve.  As we continue to wait quietly for the resurrection, we remember Jesus' death and burial in the tomb. Some Christians attend an Easter Vigil service today. This page and This page has a bit of history as well as some common practices. 

Our Scripture for today is Matthew 27:57-66, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:5-56, and John 19:38-42. These passages cover Jesus' burial.

Some Christians quietly wait by attending an Easter Vigil which can last from nightfall until just before sunrise. The atmosphere of this day is one of mourning and fasting. We think about Jesus' death as we await His resurrection. As we stay awake in the long hours of the night, we can do devotional exercises and spend time in prayer. In its fullest sense, the Vigil is about us waiting for the coming of the Lord. This page has more details about the Vigil. 

Historically, some Christians would quietly wait by fasting for 40 hours over Good Friday and Holy Saturday. (40 hours being the time he was thought to have been in the tomb). This final fast of Lent would be broken either by communion or the feast on Easter, although some denominations allow a little fruit midway through this day. Some denominations view this holy day as a day of private contemplation as no services were held. Due to the pandemic, it may be possible to join in an online vigil instead of an in-person service. 

It does seem fitting to continue abstaining from enjoyable activities from Good Friday through Holy Saturday as well. This is not a day to spend on ourselves or our pleasure, but to contemplate Jesus' death and the experiences of Jesus' first followers as they witnessed His crucifixion and burial. There are other weekends for projects, hobbies, and outings. This is a solemn time as we imagine ourselves waking up on that first Holy Saturday and feeling the grief, shock, despair, and confusion of the first Christians. 

I am intrigued by how the fasting and the Vigil interact with Resurrection Sunday. Instead of a full Sunday of feasting and celebrations, we would be tired and want to rest. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen cooking elaborate meals, we might prefer simple, nutrious food to end the fast. 

How can you wait quietly on this Holy Saturday?

Grieving on Good Friday

After Maundy Thursday comes Good Friday. This is the day that Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross, as we grieve and mourn. 

Our Scripture passages include Matthew 27:1-56, Mark 15:1-41, Luke 23:1-49, and John 18:28-19:37. These passages stop after Jesus' death, because the burial passages will be read tomorrow for Holy Saturday. 

This is a more somber day in the church year. It is a day for prayer, fasting, and church services. You can read more details of these events as well as some of the history of this day here. We grieve in the words we pray. We grieve as we abstain from food. We grieve through the services we attend.

This site here recommends setting aside the fun activities (and even work or school if possible) to more fully observe this day of mourning. Some Christians sit in silence from noon until three pm as we remember Jesus' suffering on the cross. Other Christians choose to sing hymns while Jesus was on the cross. This site here has song suggestions. We grieve as we set down our enjoyable hobbies and activities. We grieve as we sit in silence. We grieve as we sing hymns of Jesus' suffering and death. 

The stations of the cross continue from Maundy Thursday as we walk through Jesus' last hours and consider His last words on the cross. These sites here and here goes into more details. The key times are the 3rd hour (9am), 6th hour (12pm), and 9th hour (3pm). So even if "fixed hour praying" isn't common in our denomination, we could set alarms to pause and pray at these times as we remember Jesus' death sentence at 9am, Jesus being nailed to the cross at 12pm, and Jesus' death at 3pm. We grieve as we go through the stations of the cross.

The Tenebrae service from Maundy Thursday could be held instead on Good Friday. It might be possible to split the service into two nights based on the Thursday-Friday split in the Bible. So the Last Supper through Jesus' trials could be observed on Thursday and His sentencing through death could be observed on Friday. (I didn't come across this idea in my research, but was something I wondered about, since some churches hold these services on Thursdays, while others have them on Fridays.) We grieve as the lights are extinguished as we hear about Jesus' suffering and death.

Many people like to rush from the death to the resurrection, but I want to challenge us to sit in the stillness, in the darkness, in the grief of a life cut short, in the uncertainty of what happens next. The disciples experienced fear, hopelessness, and despair from 3pm Friday until Sunday morning. Let us sit with them in this dark watch of the night. 

How will you observe Good Friday this year? 

Consecrating on Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is a Holy Week holiday. As we lead up to Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter), we have 3 significant holy days to observe: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Each of these holy days will have a verb attached to it in these posts. For Maundy Thursday, our verb is "consecrating". When we consecrate something, we set it aside or apart as holy or sacred. It is devoted or dedicated to a specific purpose, such as set apart for God's use. We are setting aside these three days leading up to Resurrection Sunday as holy and sacred. Instead of doing what we want on these days, we are giving them up to God for worshiping Him as a bit of the sacred time overcomes our secular workweek. 

Each of the Gospels has plenty of text devoted to this night. We can read Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 13 for their accounts of that night's events. (Technically we should be reading John 13-18:27 for all of Jesus' prayers, plus the betrayals, trials, and denials that the other passages include)

For those curious, "Maundy" comes from a variation of the Latin word for "commandment" since Jesus gave His disciples "a new command" to love each other. Historically, this was a day to for those estranged from the Church or wanting to join the Church to prepare to be reconciled and admitted. You can read more of the history here and here and here

Throughout history, this day has involved foot-washing, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. When we wash feet, we consecrate our time by serving others instead of ourselves, as well as humble ourselves. When we give money or food to those in need, we are consecrating a part of our income. When we pray, we consecrate our schedules and goals, as we subjugate them to the Spirit's timing. When we fast, we are consecrating our bodies as we pause from food to better listen for the Spirit's guidance. 

In the Orthodox Church, some Christians will fast from food from supper on Maundy Thursday until either the pre-Easter service on Saturday night or the morning service on Sunday, with the exception of a little fruit on Saturday. By abstaining from food for 40+ hours, we are consecrating this period of waiting. Resurrection Sunday becomes something that we are longing for, anticipating, and eagerly awaiting, as we grow increasingly hungry. As our stomachs growl, we are reminded throughout the day of what we are waiting for. (Obviously don't fast in this way if you have health problems that would flare up by not eating)

Some people hold special services or meals such as a Tenebrae service (where the lights in the sanctuary are gradually extinguished as the service goes on) or a Passover Seder where Christians partake in that traditional meal Jesus & His disciples were eating that night. Other Christians have a communion service on this day. Some churches set up the "stations of the cross" for people to pray through. You can read more detailed descriptions of ways people observe this holy day here and here. By observing an unfamiliar tradition, we are consecrating our preferences and desires as we meet God in a new way. 

Alternatively, we can look for online (either video or text) resources for a Tenebrae service or the stations of the cross to experience Maundy Thursday in a new light as we are guided through those Scripture readings.

Tenebrae service ideas here and here 

Station of the Cross ideas here and here and here and here and here

How will you observe Maundy Thursday this year?

The Sixth Sunday in Lent (AKA Palm Sunday): We Fast by Living Selflessly

The last Sunday of Lent is also Palm Sunday. We will continue our theme of studying fasting according to Isaiah 58. As a recap, we have learned several key aspects of fasting:

1) Fasting is not all about us. 

2) We fast to help the oppressed and resist injustice. 

3) We fast to feed others.

4) We fast from negative words

5) We fast by observing the Sabbath.

Our final key aspect of fasting is to live selflessly. 

Isaiah 58: 13 commands us to keep the Sabbath by living selflessly. More specifically, we should "honor it by not going my own way", "honor it by not doing as I please", and "honor it by not speaking idle words". 

In a way, this last point ties the others together. In the midst of fasting, we have the Sabbath day, as a day of celebration, where we do not fast. Yet even in our celebration, we still are not to live selfishly, because just like fasting is not all about us, keeping the Sabbath is not all about us either. 

When we choose not to do as we please or go our own way, we are able to do good to others on both fast days and feast days. For instance, if we fast from chocolate during the week, we can enjoy a bit of fair trade chocolate on the Sabbath as we stand against oppression and injustice in our purchases. Or if we celebrate the Sabbath with a restaurant-cooked meal, we can be sure to tip well so our server can also feed themselves. (Even if we order carry-out in the pandemic, living selflessly involves tipping those who are working in a pandemic for our convenience).

Furthermore, we choose our words with care on Sabbaths and workdays alike. We fast from negative and idle words during the week, so we are better able to choose encouraging words to speak on the Sabbath (and non-Sabbaths alike). 

Our culture doesn't like being denied anything, whether it's internal (self-denial) or external (shortages or expensive). Our culture does not like discipline or suffering. It boggles the mind in our culture to deny ourselves food, luxuries, or well pretty much anything. 

Yet, we, as Christians, follow Christ, the suffering servant. We follow a Savior who entered Jerusalem on this Palm Sunday, knowing that the cries of "hosanna" would become calls to crucify him. He knew He would suffer and die, before being raised from the dead, and Jesus did not shy away from the pain set before Him. As Hebrews 12:12 reminds us, Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. This ultimate example of selflessness is our example and our model. 

And so we fast, in order to live more selflessly, so when we observe the Sabbath and feast, we still live differently from the world as the way we shop, give, and care for others lies in sharp contrast to the world's ways. 

Celebrating Life on the Feast of the Annunciation

Today's holiday may be unfamiliar to many of us in the Protestant tradition, but it has a long history. 

The short version: we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th, so we celebrate Jesus' conception 9 months before that on March 25th. 

Ways to Celebrate

Read Luke 1:26-56 today. Consider what you can do to also be the Lord's servant. (Finding ways to care for those pushed to the margins of society such as the orphans, widows, strangers, etc. is always in line with Scripture)

Perform an act of love for a pregnant lady in your life. Give a gift or make/buy a meal or offer to do some of her housework (only if she's comfortable with a guest in her house during a pandemic). (The blogger with this idea had many other ideas as well)

Feast. Even though this day is pretty solidly in the Lenten season of fasting, a feast day supersedes a fast day. (The blogger with this idea had many other ideas as well). Apparently, waffles are a traditional food on this day, thanks to a similarity between "our lady's day" and "waffle day" in the Swedish language. Other ideas include seed cakes or angel food cakes and other treats.

Both bloggers (links above) mentioned that blue is the color traditionally associated with Mary, so wear some blue. 

This is a day to reflect on the value of the human life and ways we can be FULLY pro-life. Many people who claim the description of being "pro-life" are in essence, really just "anti-abortion". To be pro-life involves more than voting for politicians who say they will outlaw abortions. If we are pro-life, than let us be pro-life from "womb to tomb":

• Let us support and lend a helping hand to single moms (who chose life). 
• Let us encourage and reassure moms who give their babies up for adoption (they still chose life)
• Let us support and find ways to bless foster moms and adoptive moms (who are caring for these lives)
• Let us treat people with dignity and respect (even when we think that they are wrong) and teach our kids to do the same. 
• Let us work towards raising men, women, and children above the poverty line, so preventable deaths from malnutrition or starvation will not occur. 
• Let us advocate for an end to the death penalty as we promote ways to rehabilitate prisoners and criminals so they can still contribute to society, even if their crime will prevent them from earning parole or release from prison. 
• Let us take care of and treat the people who are without homes compassionately and humanely. Look them in the eye. Talk to them. Help them.
• Let us promote peacemaking and negotiations to end conflicts instead of depending on bullets and bombs to "keep the peace". 
• Let us advocate for spending less on the military and the global arms race, so we can instead spend on nutrition & educational programs for rich and poor alike. 
• Let us promote ways for the elderly in retirement communities and nursing homes to still find meaningful ways to contribute.
• Let us listen to why people are wanting to be euthanized and look for ways to address those root causes so other options are available to them.
• Let us support suicide prevention and normalize mental health care as much as physical health care, so lives will not be cut short.
• Let us support refugee resettlement programs. Volunteer with them or donate supplies needed to start a new life. 
• Let us look at ways to improve our diets and exercise habits, to reduce our chronic, yet preventable diseases which lower our quality of life. 

To be pro-life, we must be FOR something positive more than we are AGAINST something negative. 

Examine which of these ideas you are resistant to and consider why you are resistant to them. 

Our human tendency is to discount human life. We treat people as resources or obstacles instead of people made in the image of God. 

Prayerfully consider how you can act more holistically, more fully pro-life this week, month, year, and beyond.