Daily Devotional

FEB 22 Ash Wednesday

These are the words we say when we put ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. With the smudge of ashes on your forehead, try looking into a mirror and repeating these words letting yourself hear them again. What do they mean to you? What is it like to hear them alongside the ashen cross you wear? (if you don’t have ashes from church, a smudge of anything earthy will do - fireplace ash, mud or soil, etc.)

Consider the word “Sabbath”.

What images, memories, or feelings does it evoke for you? Acknowledging that many of us have conflicting feelings and experiences of Sabbath, let yourself become aware of how Sabbath has (or hasn’t) been part of your life. As we begin our Lenten Sabbath Journey, you are invited to enter Lent acknowledging anything you are aware of at this moment. You are invited to let go of any shame, guilt, or the need for perfection. You are invited to be open to the restorative work of the Holy Spirit during this sacred season.

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Create or claim a Sabbath Symbol.

Having an object, image, sound, or place that reminds us and invites us into sabbath can be helpful as we create or rejuvenate our sabbath practice. A Sabbath Symbol can remind us of God’s presence, focus our minds, and bring us into the present moment. Find one that resonates with you. Here are some possibilities: a prayer blanket or shawl, prayer beads, a candle, a table or hand cross, the sound of a gong from your phone, a piece of art, a particular chair or area in your home.

Throughout the meditations and practices that follow, use your Sabbath Symbol to remind, ground, and focus you. Be willing to let a Sabbath Symbol choose you as you explore and practice with different options.

We are holding a prayer blanket making workshop this coming Sunday, February 26. Visit princetonumc.org/lent-easter or scan the QR code for more information.Perhaps the blanket you create could serve as your Sabbath Symbol.

What needs to be restored?

When something (or someone) is restored, it (or they) is returned to a former or original condition, position, place, or relationship. What are you aware of that needs to be restored within your being - your body, heart, mind, soul? Is there a relationship - with yourself, others, God, or even creation - in which you seek restoration? Journal, draw, meditate, or make a list as you consider. Are there one or two things that rise to the top for you, that are inviting your focus?

26 Examen-ing Your Life*

In everyday life, you might find moments of connection and disconnection with God’s grace. Respond to these small moments of attachment and detachment by noticing God’s presence. When were you most available to join into God’s activity in or around you? When were you the least connected to God or others? Take some time to sit in God’s presence, asking God to speak life into those detached spaces and bless those spaces of connection.

*Adapted from Prayer of Examen given to us by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

27 Restoration of Work

We often think of sabbath as the opposite of work. Take a moment and consider the synergy between your work (whatever ways you labor, paid or unpaid) and sabbath. How does one inform the other? Might they both be opportunities for glorifying God and for joy? As you go about your work today, whatever the sort, look for ways your work might become prayer. Look for God’s gifts and presence, for opportunities for gratitude and joy in the midst of your work.

28 Going to the Compost Pile

Life and Death are the symbols of the Lenten Season, much like the compost pile is composed of dying things that, once broken down, turn into deep, rich, black soil. In order for that new life to begin, death has to happen through things breaking down. Take a moment to journal or share with a friend something that seems to be in the “compost pile” of your life that is actively breaking down, or dying, and that may, over time, become the rich soil for new growth. (A relationship, a dream, a job, etc.)

HALT!

What happens within you when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? Originally used in addiction recovery, HALT is a tool that has become widely known in mental and physical well-being spaces. It’s a reminder that our bodies have wisdom and often tell us exactly what they need. Recall a time when ignoring your hunger, anger, loneliness, or tiredness hurt yourself or others. Pay attention to what your body is telling you today and in the days to come.