Wondering Wednesdays – time to prune?

Lent seems like an apt time to share something from a book on the Desert Mothers. Mary Earle writes this:

One of the strongest scriptural metaphors for returning to moderation is that of pruning.  Jesus says in John 15:2 “Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit”.  As a gardener, I know that this kind of pruning is necessary for the health of the plant.  From time to time, I have to prune my own life.  I have to carefully cut back what has blossomed and gone to seed, and I have to cut off the “dead branches”.   “Unsubscribing” became a metaphor for pruning away activities that, while good in and of themselves, were simply too much within the context of living…  (Earle 2007:71). 

I love the unsubscribing metaphor, I need to do a lot of literal unsubscribing too! I am subscribing to far too many newsletters etc which at one time piqued my interest but is no longer relevant but the way that GMail organizes my messages they tend to be under headings that I don’t look at enough. Occasionally I have a spate of clicking unsubscribe, but not enough!

Lent is a time we may reflect on what needs pruning. I like the line about cutting back what has blossomed and gone to seed as it does imply that something good has happened and seeds can be planted elsewhere and are away of multiplying something that has been good.

What are you pruning in this season? Is God wanting to prune anything in you?

Mary C Earle (2007).  The Desert Mothers Spiritual Practices from the Women of the Wilderness.  Harrisburg:  Morehouse, 2007. 

Friday photo – could you not tarry…

I love the old fashioned word tarry, it is one I am familiar with from hearing years ago.  Today’s picture is the booklet our church are using and yesterday’s reading was from the story of Jesus in the garden of gethsemame.  He asks his disciples could you not tarry one hour, could you not watch and pray with me in my suffering?

I am appreciating engaging with a different spirituality, offering a fresh lens on a familiar story.  Listening to those who are different to us, opening ourselves up to hear a variety of voices is essential as we seek to live well in our diverse communities.

What or who are you reading or listening to this Lent to broaden horizons?

Wondering Wednesdays – Ash Wednesday 2024

Lent begins today, it is also Valentine’s day so perhaps my choice of book this year is apt. I felt drawn to this book and am interested to see what emerges from my reading of it. As a church we are using the Church of England’s Watch and Pray and I will be using that daily too. A Facebook friend, Emma Major, is doing a series on rest for Lent using her art, that will be part of my discipline too as rest is a topic I benefit from exploring. We have been privileged to have Carlton Turner, the author, visit us at Hodge Hill and I have always appreciated his teaching so am looking forward to that too.I will also be continuing with my practice of recent years of trying to declutter 40 items – imagine books may feature in that too!

Do you mark Lent? I have done more as I have grown older and become more aware of the value (and practicality) of focusing on things for a season rather than thinking I will do something for longer and then giving up. But I also have childhood memories of taking things to Sunday School to be sent to children who didn’t have what we had – things like pencils. I am grateful for the different memories I have from childhood and adolescence of how I was encouraged to live out my faith and look forward to the different bits of Lent I will interact with…

Wondering Wednesdays – the first day of Lent

Daffodils in the church grounds

Yesterday I ate pancakes for Shrove Tuesday and we had three sittings at church so the most people could attend safely! I opted for the breakfast one – pancakes to start the day, what’s not to like?

Today Lent begins, I always adopt some sort of discipline for the period of Lent, either giving up or taking up, and perhaps reading a book reflectively and mindfully. So what am I going to do?

I know this will sound like a bit of a cop out to some but I am going to give up all chocolate apart from 70% plus dark chocolate which is fairly traded. That is what feels like a sacrifice but one which is achievable, I don’t want to set myself up to fail, that isn’t helpful. I also think that we all need to do what feels right to us and not worry about what others think – something I was advised to give up for Lent on Monday!

I am taking up Muddy Church’s 40 moments – an opportunity to be mindful and focus on something outside of myself and be outdoors – you can download the resource here:

Click to access 921837_6efefdeb061c4ed4a8bad8ea41a08908.pdf

I am going to read the book I am Bonhoeffer A Credible Life by Paul Barz, a novel about Bonhoeffer’s life which seems very apt in this season. I have read a lot of Bonhoeffer’s writing both academic and more popular but want to reconnect with his story.

I am writing this to be accountable. If you find a season of adopting particular practices helpful then why not consider what you might do for Lent this year?

Wondering Wednesdays – the joy of collaboration #LentVoices

I am passionate about working collaboratively and now I am a freelancer have to be particularly purposeful about doing this. I have so enjoyed being part of Lent Voices, working as part of a team where we agreed how we would work together and everyone went ahead and posted what they chose to share on the right day following a pattern which meant we posted in a different order for our six words.

Below is a list of all six of us, I would like to encourage those who have the opportunity to commission work or who are looking for a particular skill or gifting to think about who you know who is freelance and who would make a unique contribution to a project. These are only short descriptions, each of us does so much more than we talk about here. Connect with us on Linked In and Facebook, follow us and see what we are up to and if you see something you think we would be interested in let us know. We are also delighted to collaborate with each other in any combination or as individuals join other projects. It is hard marketing yourself, it is a skill I am trying to learn but it still feels odd but I am delighted to commend each of these people to you!

Mark Berry – Pioneer, Teacher, Speaker and Poet. Mark helps groups and individuals break boundaries, engage with culture and grow community.

Andy Campbell – Coach, Trainer, Artist, Poet and occasional square peg. Andy helps people work out who they are, and what their next step might be.

James Fox Robinson – Creative, 3rd Order Franciscan, Dreamer, Professional Nuisance. James is passionate about curating spaces for people to engage with God’s story, physically and digitally. (See also James’ youtube).

Lucie Hutson – teacher and learner, created and creator, speaker and pioneer. Lucie is passionate about helping people to wander and wonder in the world around us.

Hasna Khatun – Ordained Pioneer Minister in the C of E. Teacher and Professional Actor/Presenter/Voiceover. Hasna lives to eat and laugh sparingly… She’d like to write an alternative script for Barbie, Ken and Cindy and adores the people who don’t fit in.

Sally Nash – Author, Researcher, Educator, Priest, Mentor, Spiritual Accompanier. Sally is passionate about helping people fulfil their potential and make a bigger difference in their world.

Friday photo – joy bringer

Red post box

I am making regular trips to the end of our road in the hope that I am reciprocating some of of the joy I have experienced in recent months.

I have been so grateful for the cards and gifts that have arrived at different times since September in particular.

One of the things I am trying to do in Lent is send one card and one gift each week in the spirit of random acts of kindness and seeing who and what seems right.

The embodied nature of a card, letter or parcel helps me feel connected a little more than an email or social media contact, as much as I appreciate those.

On one of our church zooms Allanah reminded us of how much post is appreciated and that was a helpful reminder of something I know well but can be a bit flakey on following up on. That’s why I like Lent, it gives me a fixed period to focus on. And I am putting it out here to be accountable not to try and demonstrate my virtue.

What are you doing differently in Lent?

#lent #randomactsofkindness

Wondering Wednesdays – the long uphill climb

It isn’t for the moment you are struck that you need courage, but for that long uphill climb back to sanity and faith and security Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I am reflecting on loss for Lent. I am not good at loss, I tend to bury it rather than processing it and grieving properly. This quotation is a chapter heading in the book I am reading and resonates with me and reminds me of some of the struggles of friends at the moment too. Emotionally I need to go where I physically go in this picture – I climb the hill to the hermit’s chapel at Rame and I meet God there, it is one of my shelters, my thin places and there are losses that I need to bring to God and acknowledge and grieve.

Friday photo – looking for leaves

A few days into Lent, an early Lent with trees still bare and snow still forecast. I took this picture on one of our walks at Kingsbury Water Park. It is very much a Lenten picture for me, light in the gathering darkness gives me hope in the wilderness thoughts and so many bare branches helps me see the structure and growth that gets covered up when summer comes. This Lent feels like a bit of a building season for me…

Wondering Wednesdays – adding or subtracting?

I was debating with friends if you give something up for Lent or take something up for Lent. As most years I am trying to make healthy eating choices it feels like I spend quite a bit of time thinking about what I can’t have and that isn’t always the place I want to be in my head. I more often than not take something up for Lent and this year have been inspired to do so through a reading Lizzie, a friend, sent me.

Rev Andrew Dotchin is doing a series of Lent readings based on the television programme Call the Midwife (Search Midwife Calling on Facebook). Helpfully the readings started on Shrove Tuesday and this was the reflection task:
Examine the Lenten devotions you have in mind to start on Ash Wednesday. Make sure that they will not ‘side-step love’ but instead be means by which you may become more loving and more in love’.

So that’s what I am going to try to do this year and I think it will be a lot more challenging for me than giving up beer such as the lovely bottle in the photo!

Honest Christianity – on not celebrating on Sundays in Lent

We are halfway through Lent 2015. Are you giving something up or taking something up? With what I have chosen for Lent this year it is not possible to have treats Sundays. I have given up thinking or being critical about certain situations. It is not appropriate to give details, but needless to say I have picked a significant issue in my life.

So how is your Lent going? I have been tempted partly because I have not been feeling very well for the past few weeks and when one is feeling weak, it is easy to be weak. So far I am doing ok, not being critical around others has been a good discipline. The challenge has been to take up the Biblical criteria and not think critically as well as not do it openly. No one knows how my Lent is going except me and my God. I expect that if this positive spirit shows through as a more positive attitude then the normal mentality of hidden sacrifice, should not apply. My fast should be seen!