Welcome back. You belong here.
I grieve that in my tradition (I grew up American Baptist (CAM International), then Methodist, Pentecostal, Disciples of Christ and now Conservative Baptist), we don't celebrate Lent, Ash Wednesday, etc. It's not part of our liturgy. We're missing out on something very profound. But I'm introducing some elements on Sundays to help that. Last week, we read the whole text of Romans 5:1-11 outloud as a community. It was something new (and old) that we hardly ever do, that is the people reading the Scriptures together.
Last year on Ash Wednesday, I walked over to our neighorhood Catholic Church and went to their Ash Wednesday service, put ashes on my forehead, the whole bit. First time in my life, and it was good. Our children kept asking, "what's that on your forehead papi...?"
I'm getting ready for Good Friday and Easter 2006 (the production), but my spirit is more important than the production. Or let me put it this way, if my soul is at rest and meditating upon the Cross and the Resurrection, the production will follow.
Here are some good video Good Friday/Easter resources. You can show these live, or use them as ideas for a live 'stations of the cross', etc. at your next event. Similar to Highway Video, called The Work of the People. In case you hadn't heard of them yet.
Have a great day.
Into the future,
davidT
