Friday Five: What Are You Doing for Lent?

1. Did you celebrate Mardi Gras and/or Ash Wednesday this week? How?

I did. Since we share our church facilities and don't have access to them on Wednesdays, we had home gatherings around the city. One was at my house and we read some poetry, did a Lectio Divina reading of Psalm 51 and did the ashes thing. I also had pancakes for dinner on Tuesday.

2. What was your most memorable Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday/Lent?

Probably the first time I went to a Catholic Mass on Ash Wednesday - it was a rich experience.

3. Did you/your church/your family celebrate Lent as a child? If not, when and how did you discover it?

We did not. I learned about it in college, but didn't start observing it until I was in seminary.

4. Are you more in the give-up camp, or the take-on camp, or somewhere in between?

Depends on the year. I've done both, but this year I'm in the middle.

5. How do you plan to keep Lent this year?

I'm trying to bring a more contemplative focus to my daily life by incorporating the practice of devotional reading in the morning. I'm also attending or not attending events based on how they'll contribute to my state of mind during this time.