Lent...trying to fan the flames

Reflection for a day in Lent, Feb 27...

Ok. So we're into Lent a few weeks and all that great intention back a few weeks ago...well, its been blown away by the wind or at least, its blowing in the wind. Like an old flag that should be replaced, the journey with Lent quickly becomes shredded. It begins to become forced in around the regular activities of the day and week. And then eventually (in a few short weeks), it becomes "something I need to do" again.

So, here we are at crunch time. A few weeks into Lent. Its time to buck up and decide whether you are going to turn your day over to God as you said you were going to back there on Ash Wednesday.

Psalm 118
20Here is the gate of the LORD!

Everyone who does right

may enter this gate.

21I praise the LORD

for answering my prayers

and saving me.

22The stone that the builders

tossed aside

has now become

the most important stone.

23The LORD has done this,

and it is amazing to us.

24This day belongs to the LORD!

Let's celebrate

and be glad today.

25We'll ask the LORD to save us!

We'll sincerely ask the LORD

to let us win.

26God bless the one who comes

in the name of the LORD!

We praise you from here

in the house of the LORD.

27The LORD is our God,

and he has given us light!

Start the celebration!

March with palm branches

all the way to the altar. 28The LORD is my God!

I will praise him and tell him

how thankful I am.

29Tell the LORD

how thankful you are,

because he is kind

and always merciful.

Pew survey and American religion

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released a survey of the American religious scene. It has shocked some. It is what I have been reading about and perceiving for the last decade. Basic summary:

Almost half of Americans have moved to a different religious denomination from that in which they were raised, and 28 percent have switched to a different major tradition or to no religion (i.e., from Roman Catholic to Protestant, Jewish to unaffiliated). The number of "unaffiliated" Americans has doubled, to 16 percent.

What this will do is spur some on to "get our piece" of those numbers even if they are dwindling. I figure if we stay focused on the mission of Jesus Christ, the numbers will be what they will be.

I think it helps to know the lay of the land, but the one question we need to be able to answer is for anyone (atheist, agnostic, "mainline" or "evangelical" or "Catholic" Christian or Unaffiliated or whatever), "what is it of my experience of Jesus Christ the world around me needs to know NOW!"

My concern is that we allow the polls and the media to define the categories of the mission field. They may provide insight for us, but if we accept as definitive their categories, I think that will cause us to focus more on "who we can get" than on "to whom do we share the story."

podcast on Lent and Cabin Fever

Here's the link for a new podcast as of today entitled "A Good Lent and Cabin Fever."

what a year

What a year for our family! - Kate and Molly with their grandmother last summer up on the Cumberland Plateau at Linger Lake where Martha's folks' live...outside of Crossville, TN.

Last summer Kate and Martha were in Germany, Austria and Prague on Kate's choir tour. Kate was runner-up for Homecoming Queen at Firestone High School. She gets her first varsity letter from the tennis team. She is prez of the Nat'l Honor Society. Looks like she will be one of Firestone's valedictorians. She was just named as the female senior student Chrysler Award winner which is for scholarship, character and leadership - four candidates elected by the senior class and the winner selected by the faculty. She was selected to be in the National Vocabulary Challenge. And now is having some good scholarship offers from colleges. She has had only 1 B on her report card in all her schooling! She has done great in the vocal music part of the Visual and Performing Arts School of Firestone and in AP and Honors classes and has a 4.1+.

Molly began her 9th grade year at Firestone in the Visual and Performing Arts School as a dancer. She is taking Honors classes and has 3.8. She did a great job on the jv soccer team and it looks like will be on the varsity next year. She is doing a lot of soccer playing on a multiple high school indoor team and on the premier Akron Metro Futbol Club where she is now playing Futsal up in Cleveland. And she dances at Martell School of Dance (was well as at home and about anywhere else.) She is out for track as a new sport this spring.

Both girls are on Student Council and will be in the girls' synchronized Catalinas show in April.

Now...let's see...Martha and I...we just cut the grass and cook supper and do the laundry. :-)