If you are new to St. George’s or to Anglicanism you may want to read up a bit on the season of Lent. So many people observe this season in different ways. For the casual onlooker it can become dizzying. Some give up things for Lent, others take on disciplines.
At the heart of Lent you ought to find a sincere desire to:
1) recognize that we are all sinners who struggle to give up coffee for 40 days, much less save ourselves.
2) through the exercise of some discipline (either praying more or eating less) make time and space in our conscious lives for the presence of the Lord.
I have joked in the past that I am giving up artichokes for Lent. But, this year I am inviting you to participate in a parish-wide Lenten discipline – scripture memory.
Matthew and I memorize scripture over our breakfast each morning. My hope and prayer is that his worldview would be formed and shaped by the deep truths he hides in his little heart. I know that in my own life the scriputres I memorized as a child challenge and body-check my thoughts and feelings. When we hide God’s word in our heart we begin to see the beauty of Jesus, the Word made flesh, and connect His life with our world.
So, here it is …
We will be memorizing one passage each week and reciting it at each of our Sunday services for all six weeks of Lent.
March 6th – 12th 2 Corinthians 5:17
March 13th – 19th Romans 12:1
March 20th – 26th John 15:7
March 27th – April 2nd Philippians 4:6-7
April 3rd – 9th Matthew 6:33
April 10th – 16th 1 Corinthians 15:58
The Navigators have a solid online resource entitled How to Memorize Scripture. Please join us in this Lenten discipline. I pray that we will begin to see Jesus more clearly, fall in love with Him more dearly and follow Him more earnestly as we memorize these passages together.
Love it!! Let’s do it!!
Thanks, Ray David, for encouraging this memorizing of verses. I think this is one of the Christian disciplines in which I am most lazy. I keep meaning to do it and don’t. I will memorize the verses along with my new friends at St. Georges. Also, are there any devotions and prayer guides for Lent? This is all still pretty new to me. I am almost through reading through the Bible, but I want to stop and focus on Lent. Hmm…. I might even give up artichokes ……..
Way to go Heather! I can’tt tell you how many times a memorized scripture verse comes to my mind at just the right time.
Have a blessed Lent and a joyful Easter.