It is almost Lent, and I don't know how we have arrived there so early (well, Easter is early -- but that's not my point): Einstein's relatively has something to do with it, I suppose, but I don't know that he focussed on aging as one of the factors.
At any rate, it's time to begin thinking about a little more rigor -- or for the modernists among us, intentionality -- in our daily meditations and musings. I have not seen offered for sale my favorite resource, the Bruderhof's Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. It's an anthology of readings (one for each day) drawn from a simply amazing array of people. Most of them are wonderful. I understand that Maryknoll has released a paperback, but I have not researched the matter. If you find one, snatch it up. I'm grateful that I was able to get the original hardcover before The Plough (the Bruderhof's now-defunct publishing house) went out of existence.
For the more technology-inspired, Ed Schroeder, retired (sort of) professor of theology (with roots in the pre-schism Missouri Synod) has placed on-line a daily meditatioin (quite short, apparently; just enough to give you some time to commune with the Lord of Life before or after beginning a hectic day). It is located here.
There are, of course, numerous books -- many of them considering the Lord's seven last words. Richard John Neuhaus has one that I grapple with, and Walter Wangerin is always good. (By the way, reading Wangerin's The Book of the Dun Cow would be a good Lenten endeavor.)
I'll try to post a couple more suggestions, but how about you? What's going to guide your reflection during the Lenten journey? Just add your comments.
And to those of you, my officially-being-trained theologian friends, where are your suggestions?
Blessings and peace,
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3 comments:
"What's going to guide your reflection during the Lenten journey?"
What an important, pastoral question you pose, Brother! It urges me (further) toward reading "Discipleship" to guide my Lenten reflections.
I plan also to hold to the discipline of daily prayer, guided by Phyllis Tickle's "The Divine Hours". Do you know that resource?
Thanks again for the question. Blessings,
RAR
Good Brother, I have seen the Tickle volumes (sounds slightly risque put that way, doesn't it), but I haven't spent much time looking at them. I gather from your using at least one of the volumes that you find it helpful, eh? Can you say more about why that is?
Best,
Dwight
Br. Versus,
My piety is rather liturgical (no surprise there I expect) - I appreciate the forms and structures of liturgical prayer and enjoy praying with others more than conducting private devotioins. In that way, I've always thought I'd enjoy monastic life, at least for the daily prayer liturgies. Since I don't think my family would appreciate me moving to a monastary and since it's impractical for me to pray the daily offices with others - I've found Tickle's "The Divine Hours" a good alternative. It provides for an individual to pray the daily offices - it offers liturgies for the Morning, Midday, and Vespers offices as well as liturgies for Compline. Tickle draws from the BCP and the Church Fathers for the offices. I know and even feel that I am praying with others as I pray these offices - with the Church as it were - even though I am using them for my "private" devotions. For these reasons I've appreciated this prayer resource.
Blessings,
RAR
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