Day 303 - A Lenten Break

 As I pray about what I’m going to intentionally do during Lent, I am drawn to a Lenten Prayer Journey resource written by a friend and iconographer. Kristen Wheeler has written a short reflection about Mary Magdalene, who was called the Apostle to the Apostles. From a variety of places and even more reasons, Mary’s story and wisdom has been overlooked in Christianity. For the early Roman Catholic church, her gender and sexuality demoted her to the sinful prostitute with seven demons. Many protestant and evangelical traditions are not comfortable with saints and icons, and focus on what the canonized scripture literally says. 

For Lent this year, I’m going to make my way through this journal, The Woman and the Cave. On Mondays I’ll share what I’m focusing on for that week, and Fridays, I’ll share my reflections. My hope is that some of you will join me, and our reflections can be mutual honest places to wrestle with Mary’s truths. Kristin Wheeler, author and icon writer is invited too.  

My own thoughts about icons and saints. I don’t believe an icon is a graven image. I believe it’s more like the cross. The cross isn’t just two perpendicular sticks. It isn’t even just the sign of ancient Roman execution. It’s so much more. When I contemplate on the cross, there’s a multitude of meanings that change as I do. 

Another analogy, perhaps less glamourous is that an icon is an image that represents something else. When you see a red light at a traffic stop, you know that it means to stop. It doesn’t say stop, it means stop. 

Icons that include people’s faces are helpful for me, as I’m such a concrete thinker. To see the face of Jesus, to look in his eyes, I am viscerally affected by the humanity of Jesus.  

I have a guest room in my new-to-me-house. I will be making some modifications to it, to make it more appealing, and I will take my computer and journal and candle and markers upstairs every morning to make space for God, and more connection between me and God during Lent. This Lent I’ll use this Prayer Journal.  

I hope that I will continue periodically with my “Year through the Bible” reflections, but they may not be daily. I need to do something different. I only have 62 days to go before I’m done with the consecutive reading through the Bible, and I really want to finish, so hopefully. ..

I also will continue to share updates of the massive remodel and resurrection of this house. That work will continue. Updates of my loved one with the significant brain disorder will be provided, when there’s anything new to say.  

In the meantime, I invite you to join me on this Lenten Journey. If you are not interested in joining, I hope you enjoy my Woman and the Cave reflections. Happy Shrove Tuesday.