I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.
These words are from the Invitation to the Observance of a holy Lent in the Ash Wednesday service. Usually, and for good reason, we focus on penitence, fasting, and prayer in this season. But there at the end is something just as important: reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.
There are three easy ways for you to enter into this invitation at St. James’.
The longtime Friday Bible study is in the midst of an engaging study of the Book of Revelation. For more information and to participate, contact parishioner Maureen Suckling.
During Lent you can join us on the next four Sundays after the 10:30 am service for our Lenten Series, Deep into the Night, where we are using an adapted form of lectio divina (divine reading) to read and meditate on the stories we tell from the Hebrew Scriptures at the Easter Vigil.
And finally, we have an ongoing Bible study every Sunday. Using a program called Reading Between the Lines, folks meet at 9:30 for 45 minutes of exploring one of the lessons from that Sunday. The materials include a series of open-ended questions designed to invite us into the story in the text, and to make connections to the world around us and to our own lives. It also includes supplemental excerpts which feature poetry, literature, and historical background materials by noted Biblical scholars to illustrate the context of each week’s text. I encourage you to give this Bible study a try during Lent and beyond.
Spending time reading and meditating on God’s hold Word has a ground affect that cannot be overstated. My prayer this Lent is that you will make space for this practice in your life.
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+