Lent Calendar 2020, Week Two

My theme for Lent this year is the Road to Resilience. I'm trying to build and strengthen my ability to bounce back from challenges, conflict, and calamity. My goals are:

• Resilience Habits: Resilience has lots of parts - equanimity, flexibility, resolution, tenacity, social intelligence, and optimism to name a few. I want to gradually add in some useful daily habits as a practical way to grow in recilience.
• Fast from binge eating: I try to choose something to fast from that is a good symbol of how I am trying to grow, and I think my binge eating has a direct connection to feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges.

• Educate myself: I'm reading the book The Coward's Guide to Conflict: Empowering Solutions for those Who Would Rather Run Than Fight.
• Inner work: Ground myself in journaling, meditation, and prayer to connect to my core of peace and courage. 
• Take creative action: Take decisive action on adverse or challenging situations as they arise, and use my creative super powers to grow, and make the world better.

March 1, Forgiveness Sunday- 
1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take towards resiliency? Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take.

2. Offer and ask for forgiveness: A wise man said to forgive our neighbors even when they sin against us repeatedly, even until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). Tonight I offer this prayer:

I ask for forgiveness from those I've hurt, and I offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me - and to those who hurt the earth. In asking and offering forgiveness, I hope to be able to release this burden of shame, indignation, and fear, and move on with resilience.   

March 3, Clean Monday-

3. Study "The Coward's Guide to Conflict": Read Chapters 3-6 this week. Also, work to analyze any conflict situations I'm in this week to identify what kind of fears I'm feeling.

4. Prayer of Cleansing:

I Cleanse My Soul- Author Unknown 

I cleanse my soul in the dews of spring,

Light of mind's refreshing dew

Love of heart's renewing dew,

Life being's restoring dew,

Cleanse and recreate my soul this night.

May the souls of all beings be

Peacefully preserved

From fall of night
Till day's dear light.

March 3, Hina Matsuri-

5. Hina-okuri ceremony: Today, Japanese Shinto families perform the purification custom called hina-okuri.

Today I will decide what ills of mine I would like to not carry on the Road to Resilience. If I’m ready to release some of the weight, then today is a good day to set that intention. I will make a list of issues and habits I wish I didn’t have - indifference, fear, self-judgments, petty annoyances, and obsessive attachments - then I will choose a few that I’m ready to be free of now. I'll write each on a paper Hina doll, then float them down the river! 

March 4-
6. Resilience Habits: I've already worked a few daily habits into my life to improve my resilience. Since one habit I'd like to release is my tendency to embellish the problem (I often exaggerate my personal drama, and vent to people around me), I want to find ways to be calm, and keep my words congruent with the facts. Today I'm adding a mantra:

• Every time I hear a bell or ring tone, I will remind myself to "Speak Truth".

March 5-
7. Doctor Visit: One of the important steps on the road to resilience is self care - I need to pay attention to my needs, exercise regularly, eat well, and get rest and recreation. Today I'm going in for my annual doctor's exam!

March 6, World Day of Prayer-
8. Prayer for reconciliation:

Gracious God, your amazing love extends through all time and space, to all parts of your creation, which you created and called good. You made a covenant with Noah and his family, putting a rainbow in the sky to symbolize your promise of love and blessing to every living creature, and to all successive generations. ... As people of faith, we are called into covenant. Your covenant of faithfulness and love extends to the whole creation. We pray for the healing of the earth, that present and future generations may enjoy the fruits of creation, and continue to glorify and praise you.
—National Council of Churches

March 7-
9. Action for Peace and Reconciliation: 

I love the motto of the World Day of Prayer: "Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action." Our sisters from Zimbabwe are taking Jesus’ encounter with the sick man in John to be a call to act in love for peace and reconciliation. 

“God is offering us the steps for personal and social transformation.” This is the time for change! May we hear the words of this compassionate God to act upon the healing of ourselves and our communities to bring peace and reconciliation into the world.

I see lots of possibilities for reconciliation in my own life and community.