LENTEN DISCIPLINES

Lent is here. A time for reflection, fasting, prayer, and building of spiritual practices. These daily practices or Lenten disciplines help center us on our relationship with God. They remove barriers and open our hearts to listen and see how God is working in our lives and the world. Some prompt us to refrain from actions that separate us from God, while others move us into action as a response to God’s love and calling. Explore the Lenten resources below and choose what will fuel your faith.

DAILY DEVOTIONS

---

Lions and Camels, and Goats! Oh My! Family Lenten Devotion on Creation (pdf)
ELCA Hunger- 40 days of Giving- Worship, Study, Reflect, Give, Pray (pdf)
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross- Daily Devotion from Luther Seminary (pdf)
Remembering the Past, Ministering to the Present, Looking to the Future- Outreach for Hope (pdf or email)

INCLUSIVITY and JUSTICE

---

​Resipiscense: A Lenten Devo for Ending White Supremacy - From Transform Network (book or e-book) 
Ashes to Rainbows- A Queer Lenten Devotional by Unbound (pdf or online) 
#noplasticsforlent- Join the ELCA Young Adults commitment for Lent (blog) 
​Lenten Carbon Fast- Themes and daily devotions by Climate Caretakers (email subscription)

SIMPLE LENTEN PRACTICES

---

 25 Ideas Besides Giving up Chocolate (blog) 
40 Simple Practices for Lent (blog)

CENTER ON CREATIVITY

---

The Call of Lent- For Families and Individuals, including a daily Photo Challenge 
Praying in Color- Meditate and Pray while you color or create with these templates

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is a method of meditation with a strong emphasis on interior silence that prepares us to experience God’s presence within us and Contemplative Prayer. Centering Prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship.

Come experience the Centering Prayer group on Tuesdays.

---

Learn More

• Use the Centering Prayer App to guide your own practice at home.
• Learn more about contemplative prayer, its history, practice and methods at Contemplative Outreach. 
• Explore the Center for Action and Contemplation for contemplative programs and resources

Recommended Resources

• The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice by Cynthia Bourgeault
• Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating
• (Podcast): Another Name for Everything  with Richard Rohr through the Center for Action and Contemplation

Fuel your Faith. 

We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished."
-Martin Luther

Prayer in your Pocket

Check out one of these apps to support your prayer habits and practices.
​

• PrayerMate: helps you build on your best intentions to pray for others, offers resources for prayer
• Echo: free app tracks your prayers, gives reminders and allows you to share prayers or connect with others

Faith in Real Life

Connect with your faith during life's key moments with these resources.*

• Arrival of a Sibling
• Death of a Loved One
• Graduation 
• Blessing a New Home
• Empty Nesting

*Special thanks to Bethlehem Lutheran Church for sharing these resources

Daily Devotions

Use one of these resources to explore devotions on a scale that works for you.

• Daily Bible Reading: ELCA daily resource for bible readings
• God Pause Devotion: Verses and reflections shared via email from Luther Seminary
• ​Thirty Seconds or Less: A short video paired with written text and thought-provoking questions

Learn about Lutherans

Maybe it's been awhile since you went through confirmation, or maybe you never did. Whether you're new to our church, or you've been here a long time, use the resources below to learn more about Lutheran Theology and History.  ​

---

​​​Scripture, Creeds and Confessions
Learn more about the Lutheran lens on scripture and more context to the professions of faith used by Lutherans.  
​
Who is Martin Luther and what is his background and history?
Deepen your knowledge of Martin Luther and the foundation of the Lutheran church. 

How are Catholics and Lutherans alike and different?
Pastor Stephanie addresses some common questions around liturgy, how we view scripture, and our beliefs around communion in her May newsletter article.