Writings of a Beholder 🌿 2.24.23
A gentle entrance into Lent
Photo by Adrien Olichon on Unsplash
A Gentle Entrance Into Lent
This past Wednesday, also known as Ash Wednesday, was the beginning of what most of us know as Lent. Growing up, I didn’t know much about the liturgical seasons. I just observed a lot of people in my life giving something up, or ‘fasting’ as I now know it, for 40 days. I didn’t really understand why or what it meant to enter into fasting with Jesus. I didn’t know what the season of Lent truly represented.
I’m still getting to know the liturgical calendar — also known as the church calendar — and its seasons; Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. But as I’m beginning to familiarize myself with it, the liturgical calendar is an invitation, really, to enter into the life and story of Jesus and God’s people as we learn to engage and commune with God in different ways throughout the seasons.
I’ve learned since my childhood days that Lent begins 40 days before Easter and invites us to align our hearts with the suffering of Jesus during His 40-day fast in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11 and in His journey toward the crucifixion. The Lenten season is an invitation to self-examination as we celebrate and give thanks for the growth we recognize in our spiritual lives while leaning into those areas of our souls that need the Holy Spirit's tender healing and formation. It's a time of allowing the Spirit of God to form us into the image of Jesus as we turn away from self and turn toward Him in repentance, freely receiving His loving forgiveness.
Truthfully, this year is the first year that I’m choosing to be intentional about entering into the season of Lent. And when I say ‘intentionally’ I mean seeking the Lord in what His invitation to me is in this season of Lent.
Traditionally, fasting — or giving something up — for 40 days is a common practice during the Lenten season. This might look like fasting a certain food like sweets and desserts, or social media, or even something on a heart level like gossiping or criticizing.
But in this season of my life, as I trudge through some old wounds and walk toward healing with my Savior, the thought of subtracting something else amidst all that already feels raw and loud and uncertain sounds horrible and I know that if I did it despite how I’m feeling, my heart wouldn’t be in it.
And Jesus is always after our hearts.
Fasting is meant to draw us closer to the Lord, emptying ourselves as we turn toward God in repentance, receiving His faithful forgiveness. In fact, all of the spiritual practices and rhythms we adopt in our lives — including this Lenten season — are supposed to draw us near to God.
If you feel called to fast something this year, then be faithful to that calling, my friend. I definitely don’t want to deter you from that or denote the sacredness of fasting with Jesus. I just don’t feel that invitation from God this year, and rather than force myself into a rhythm just because it’s what everyone else is doing just feels inauthentic and exhausting.
So, if you’re like me, and you’re in need of a gentle entrance into Lent this year and the thought of harsh and sudden subtraction feels overwhelming in this season of your life, I want to offer you three spiritual practices that you can add to your Lenten rhythm that may be what your soul needs these next 40 days with the Lord.
If your life feels loud in this season, try adopting a rhythm of regular silence throughout your day. My friend and fellow writer, Kari Bartkus, calls this practice a ‘holy hush’ because as we sit in silence for just 5-10 minutes at a time, we make space for our souls to breathe and the Holy Spirit to speak words of truth and love. In the silence, God tends to our souls as we practice resting in His presence.
Breath Prayer
Breath prayer is a very simple yet powerful prayer practice that helps to ground you in the Holy Spirit’s presence no matter where you are or what you’re doing. It’s simple because all you do is choose a Scripture or a truth and turn it into a short phrase that you can pray to the rhythm of your own breath.
As you inhale, you pray the first half of your truth or Scripture and as you exhale, you pray the second half. I wrote a blog post on breath prayer last year and in that post, I share 7 breath prayers to get you started. Check it out here: How to use breath prayer
You can also grab some breath prayer cards over on my Etsy shop, The Beholding Co.
Sabbath
Traditionally, it was a part of the 10 commandments given to Moses from God that the Israelites were to work 6 days out of the week and rest on the 7th, making it a Sabbath day — a holy day. Maybe this Lenten season, you schedule one day a week where you practice resting, playing, and feasting with God. I know this sounds easy, but for most of us who live in a culture of overloaded schedules and identities tied to our productivity levels, it can feel like fasting! And in a way, I suppose it is. Sabbath is surrendering control and trusting God that He can tend to what needs tending to as we take a break and rest in Him.
A Lenten Blessing
No matter what rhythms or practices your heart settles on this Lenten season, I pray that you would allow yourself to be open to the Spirit’s love and leading in this season of your life.
I pray that this Lenten season would be a time of drawing near to God and celebrating the parts of yourself that have grown and noticing the parts of yourself that still need His healing touch.
May it be a season of healing, light, and wholeness in Christ.
May it be a season of repentance, turning back to Love’s embrace, and being formed deeply into the image of Jesus.
But most of all, friend, I pray that you would know and receive the sacred truth that God is with you, always.
You are beloved, dear one, and may you never forget that sacred truth.
Peace be with you,
Celia
A Breath Prayer for Your Weekend
breathe in:
I rend my heart.
breath out:
to You, O Lord. (adapted from Joel 2:13, a traditional Lenten reading)
*if you’d like to learn more about the practice of breath prayer, check out this blog post I wrote titled, How to Use Breath Prayer.
Join the Sacred Spaces Community
Are you feeling tired, worn out, or burnt out on religion?
Are you longing for a deeper connection with God but don’t know where to begin?
Join the Sacred Spaces community for just $5 a month as we learn to behold God in the sacred spaces of our everyday lives through the exploration of Christian contemplative practices such as breath prayer, Lectio Divina, The Daily Examen, and more.
Click here to join or read more about it: Sacred Spaces with Celia
Enter the Grace In Real Life Podcast Giveaway!
A few years ago, I had the honor of being a guest on the Grace In Real Life podcast, hosted by the lovely @jillemccormick 💛
The podcast is turning three years old this year, so I and a few other past guests have teamed up to provide you with a celebratory giveaway!
The giveaway starts February 14th, and ends February 28th ✨ and entering is super easy! Just click this link here: Enter the Giveaway!
One winner will receive all of these amazing goodies 👇🏻✨
🤍 books, ebooks, & printables
🤍 a journal set
🤍 The Gathering Project virtual workshop
🤍 two online coaching sessions (one for writing & one for slow living)
🤍 $270 Amazon gift card
Resources & Fun Things to Pick Up
This week, I attended my first Ash Wednesday service and decided to compile my reflections about my experience into a blog post that went live yesterday: Reflections on the Sacredness of Ash Wednesday
My new friend and fellow writer, Katie Kibbe, is offering some Lenten reflections on her podcast, Seasons. I listened to the first episode this week and it was so good for my soul: The Seasons Podcast
If you’re interested in learning more about the liturgical seasons, here’s a link to a book that has really helped me! It’s a short, simple read but packed full of a lot of good information: Welcome to the Church Year by Vicki K. Black
Last week, I had the honor of being featured on the Home & Hearth Podcast with the lovely Rebekah Hargraves! We talked about all things contemplative practices and debunked the myth that they’re ‘New Age’. Listen here: Navigating Contemplative Spiritual Practices
My friend and fellow writer, Kari Bartkus, is offering an 8-week journaling course called Journal Gently designed to help you experience God’s presence in the midst of grief. I went through the 8-week writing program myself, and it was incredibly healing and life-giving. Check it out here: Journal Gently
Grab some breath prayer cards, a journal, and other contemplative resources from my Etsy shop: The Beholding Co.
Grab a copy of my Bible study, You Are Beloved: a 21-day study on how to root your identity in the love of God, over on Amazon.
An Invitation to Pause & Reflect
A regular practice of reflection helps us recognize what’s going on beneath the surface of our souls so we can name it in the Lord’s presence. Because as we learn to name what we feel, what we need, and what we long for, we’re also learning to discern the Spirit’s sweet, gentle voice within our hearts and lives.
Take a few moments today or this weekend to journal or contemplate with the Holy Spirit the following question(s) or prompt(s):
What do you sense is the Lord’s invitation to you as you enter into the Lenten season?
What rhythms or practices would draw you nearer to God on this 40-day walk toward resurrection Sunday?
xo,
celia