Lent Devotion: Study

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Study.

Scripture Reflection:

1 John 4:9-10 (NLT)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Study" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on study. Try to practice study one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word "Study" in an area of your life like your lunchbox, your end table, or fireplace. When you go to eat lunch, before you watch TV, or when you are relaxing by the fireplace, take a moment to read the story of Jesus' death.

As you study God's word, remember that the creator of the universe loved you enough to die for you. This story is the root of our faith.

Lent Devotion: Worship

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week's ordinary space transformation challenge is: Worship.

Scripture Reflection:

Psalm 104:33-34 (NLT)

33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Worship" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on worship. Try to practice worship one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word "Worship" in an area of your life like your shower, your makeup mirror, or running shoes. When you are showering, doing your makeup, or exercising, sing a worship song.

The worship will begin on your lips, move to your mind as you understand what you're saying, and then move into your heart as you start to truly mean what you're saying. As you worship in these ordinary spaces, you will see that they are suddenly transformed into holy places.

Here's a song to start your week in worship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ__W9VH9Lo

Lent Devotion: Serve

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Serve.

Scripture Reflection:

Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "serve" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on serving. Try to practice serving one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word "serve" in an area of your life- like the place you eat, your toolbox, or your cell phone charger.

Then, this week, as you eat, clear away someone else's plate. When you fix something, try to fix something for someone else. Or when you go to charge your phone, text someone, offering to help them with something specific that you know they might need.

As you serve others you will remember the ways that God serves you. Thank Christ for all he has done for you.

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Lent Devotion: Listen

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Listen.

Scripture Reflection:

James 1:19 (NLT)

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word “Listen” on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on listening. Try to practice listening one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word “Listen” in an area of your life like your kitchen table, car, or backpack. When you are sitting at your table as a family, in the car on a ride to school, or in your backpack as you settle into school for the day, look for an opportunity to listen to those around you.

The people in your life, your friends, and family (especially those who annoy you) are not mere happenstance. God wants to speak to you through the people in your life. Listen to God’s voice encouraging and challenging you through the people in your life.

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Lent Devotion: Clean

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Clean

Scripture Reflection:

Psalm 51:1-2 (NLT)

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Clean" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space (your bedroom, the kitchen, the closet under the stairs) in your life where you are going to focus on cleaning. Try to practice cleaning one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

-Put the word "Clean" in an area of your life like your kitchen, car, desk, or bathroom. Take a moment this week to clean that area of your life. As you are literally scrubbing, organizing, and simplifying, consider what areas of your life God wants to clean out. God want to clean out our hearts, make us new, refreshing our spirits.

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Lent Devotion: Pray

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Prayer.

Scripture Reflection:

Matthew 6:5-7 (NLT)

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Pray" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on prayer. Try to practice prayer one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practices:

-As a family, put the word "Prayer" on your dinning room table. Take five minutes before dinner to pray together as a family.

-As a parent, you might want to put the word "Prayer" on your fridge. As you prepare meals for your family, take that time to pray to God on their behalf.

-As a child, you might want to put the word "Prayer" on your shoes, so that as you walk to your bus stop you can pray for your friends at school.

-As a single person, put the word "Prayer" on your coffee pot as a reminder to begin your day with prayer.

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Lent Devotion: Reconcile

Written by Pastor Becca McCary Washington Cathedral is taking the season of Lent to help families practice their faith together, transforming ordinary times and spaces into sacred times and spaces, a chance to go deeper in their faith. Over the next seven weeks of lent, as a church and as a family, we will focus on a spiritual practice to help us connect with God and those around us. Our seven spiritual practices will be: reconciling, prayer, cleaning, listening, serving, worship, and study.

Week 1: Reconcile  

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Reconciliation.

Scripture Reflection:

Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

 Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Reconciliation" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on reconciliation. Try to practice reconciliation one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy Space for you.

Practices:

-As a spouse, you might want to put the word "Reconciliation" on your pillow. Then when you are going to bed, you will look for a chance to reconnect with your spouse. Say you're sorry, make things right, and put your relationship first as a priority.

-As a child, you might want to put the word "Reconciliation" by your toothbrush. When you are getting ready for bed, look for an opportunity to apologize to your sibling for any time you may have hurt their feelings that day. Say you you're sorry, make things right, and put your relationship first as a priority.

-As a single person, put the word "Reconciliation" by your tablet or computer. Look for an opportunity to apologize to someone on social media. Say you you're sorry, make things right, and put your relationship first as a priority.

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Lenten Ideas for Families

40 days of lent: Family Faith Practices

Have you ever celebrated lent with your family? Maybe not at all? Well, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Check out some ideas Pastor Becca has for how your family can celebrate Lent together this year.

1. Read Jesus’ Sermon on The Mount as a family. Matthew 5-7 2. Pray for your enemies or someone who has persecuted you. 3. Don’t waste any food today 4. Pay 3 people a sincere compliment 5. Tithe your time: Spend 10% of your time (2.5 hours) serving at church. (This could be weeding the parking lot, cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming, or asking a pastor for a way to serve) 6. Listen to someone who seems lonely 7. Take 5 minutes of silence before you eat dinner 8. Celebrate! Enjoy a family game night 9. Do someone else’s chore for them without being asked 10. Spend 10 minutes writing out a prayer to God 11. Forgive someone 12. Tithe your money: Give 10% of the money you made that week to the church, helping people in need in the name of Jesus. 13. Thank God for 20 blessings in your life 14. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while 15. Give up social media for a day 16. Tell someone in your family something you love about them 17. Ask someone to pray for you 18. Ask to pray for someone 19. Take communion 20. Buy a couple $5 gift cards to gas stations to give to the families living in their cars at the church 21. Purge your closets, donating unnecessary items to the goodwill 22. Apologize 23. Donate some books or art supplies to your local elementary school 24. Write someone an email, telling them you appreciate them. 25. Turn off your T.V. and go outside 26. Pray for your church 27. Bake cookies for someone 28. Read Psalm 139 as a family before dinner 29. Ask God for help 30. Introduce yourself, or reconnect with one of your neighbors 31. Have someone over for dinner 32. Walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation to work/school 33. Thank someone who is in leadership for their service (Like a pastor, teacher, police, etc) 34. Cook dinner together as a family 35. Pray for the current events in the news 36. Don’t turn on music during your car ride- enjoy conversation or silence 37. Go for a walk or hike as a family 38. Ask God to help you know Him more 39. Spend 10 minutes praying for someone you work with/ go to school with 40. Read the Easter story John 18, 19, 20

About The Author:

Becca McCary Becca is a children's pastor and part of the preaching team at Washington Cathedral. She writes on motherhood, spirituality, and biblical interpretation. She also has her own personal blog with resources for mothers and Sunday School teachers.

Lent Devotion: Listen

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Listen

Scripture Reflection:

James 1:19 (NLT)

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Listen" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on listening. Try to practice listening one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word "Listen" in an area of your life like your kitchen table, car, or backpack. When you are sitting at your table as a family, in the car on a ride to school, or in your backpack as you settle into school for the day, look for an opportunity to listen to those around you.

The people in your life, your friends, and family (especially those who annoy you) are not mere happenstance. God wants to speak to you through the people in your life. Listen to God's voice encouraging and challenging you through the people in your life.

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