You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Lenty' category.
The Writers Room piece in the Saturday Guardian has pictures of famous and famousish writers’ rooms with an explanation of why they put that Afghan rug just so, or have a Mozambique desert scene to ponder on, or whether they sit side-on, back to, or facing a window or wall. The seduction of the piece is that you might think if I did that, I too would be writerly, prize winning and featuring in a Guardian feature.
I have a bit of desk envy when it comes to Al Gore’s work space:
TDS has got our household on a carbonfast for Lent. This means I’m honour bound to simplify and not mug the planet further so will be unable to add the plasma tv and three cinema display screens to the disorder and chaos of our house which looks not unlike a Turner Prize installation.
My consolation:
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. A.A. Milne
—————-
Now playing: The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
via FoxyTunes
Our Sunday gathering does liturgy lite, and Lent doesn’t feature much on our community radar. So it’s good to be reminded from time to time of seasons and why they’re helpful. The current season is brilliantly summed up in the Eucharistic preface for Lent:
in these forty days
you lead us into the desert of repentence
that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline
we may grow in grace
and learn to be your people again.
Through fasting prayer and acts of service
you bring us back to your generous heart.
Through the study of your holy word
you open our eyes to your presence in the world
and free our hands to welcome others
into the radiant splendour of your love.
Big cheer to Big Bulky Anglican
The Eucharistic words balance belief and doing, giving up and geting going, orthodoxy and orthopraxy, right thoughts and right actions . The mighty Ship of Fools has 40 Lent ideas to act on. Today’s, (31st of Lent) is for random acts of kindness.
We like howies. You don’t just buy clothes, but a set of values too.
The Spring catalogue comes in the post at the same time as Lent. One of the thoughtpieces nestling between the organic denim and the Merino wool t-shirts has a bit of the alt key about it.
We are creatures of habit.
Of routine.
We are all in our own groove.
So try new. Try different. Try crazy.
Try unexpected.
Like punk? Try opera.
Wear black? Try white.
Love bubbles? Try still.
Speak Spanish? Learn Chinese.
Love to ride? Try running.
Always grumpy? Try happy.
Like science fiction? Try romance.
Never cook? Bake some bread.
Forever cynical? Try love. Try trust. Try hope.
Take a different route to work.
Say yes when you mean no.
Wear your watch on the other hand.
Leave the comfort zone.
Lent has come to signify some kind of self-improvement programme, a time to develop new habits and abstain a while from something that has taken up too much room for itself in our lives. It can also be atime of hungering after God, a pause to get some re-tuning, re-aligning, re-booting of the soul done, to know the God who creates, sustains and inspires. To realise again dependence and trust on a Father.
‘You are a feather on the breath of God’ (Hildegaard of Bingen)
