2019 Lent calendar, Week 0ne

My theme for Lent this year is low-carbon living. I'm working on climate justice this year, so I want to get a better technical understanding of the best practical changes to make in my life.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit. And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn. My goals are to:

• Educate myself: I'm reading the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists
• Meditate and Journal: Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take. 
• Fast from Carbon: I try to choose something to fast from that is a good symbol of how I am trying to grow. This week I will start by turning off the heater in my office, but I might find new ways each week to reduce my carbon footprint. 
• Take creative action: Go to committee meetings, organize events, make banners and artwork, teach classes, and take some small compassionate actions to make the world better.

March 6, Ash Wednesday- 

1. Begin fasting: Week one- I've tried to think of a simple thing to give up that would make a symbolic difference in my carbon emmissions, but the fact is that improving my energy efficiency will do way more good than curtailling use. The problem is we can't afford to buy solar panels or a new heat pump-- and if we could make one big change, I have no idea which would be the most effective change to make. 

I've decided to fast this week from heating my office as a reminder that I need to take bigger steps soon.

2. Climate Coalition meeting: This is my once a month commitment to learn what our city is doing to reduce carbon in the community.

March 7- 
3. Study low carbon living: Read Chapters 1-3 from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists- These chapters are about "Thinking About Your Climate Choices". 

"Global warming is a human-caused problem, and it is within our power to solve. Individual actions can and do make a difference"

March 8-
4. Placing Climate and Other Catastrophic Events Within a Larger Story: I'm going to go to this event put on by 350.org... the description says:

With each new day, our hearts are broken by the news of suffering caused by catastrophic fires, floods, hurricanes, violence, epidemic corruption, and deaths of friends, animals, and strangers both near and afar. Yet deep in our souls, we know that life’s tragedies can also yield hidden gifts of profound healing, renewal, and thriving. ... How do we stop looking for happiness and start mining the darkness for priceless nuggets of joy and connection with ourselves, with other living beings and with Earth?  How do we make meaning in the morass of madness? 

“Cata-strophe” literally means a descent that we are being asked to make together.  What do we need to make that journey?

March 9-
5. Plan classes: Today I'm going to write up lesson plans for two classes, so I can spread my thoughts on climate action- 

1. A class for the kids at my Friends Meeting on  the Testimonies of Simplicity and Stewardship

2. And a class for adults in Craftivism. (Craftivism is voicing your opinions through your creativity- sewing, printing, and painting to make the world a better place.)

Ash Wednesday and Budding New Moon

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a 46-day period of preparation for the joyful Easter celebration. The word lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "lengthen"; it refers to the longer days of spring. 

Lent is about mortality and transformation; death and rebirth. Marcus Borg says "It means dying to an old way of being, and being born into a new way of being, a way of being centered once again in God."

Tonight is also the new moon; the Chinese call the second new moon the Budding Moon. Spring has always been my favorite time of year, when I feel most creative and joyful. As we cycle nearer to spring, I can feel my energy growing and swelling like the buds on the trees!

Agenda for Lent:
1. Journal queries

2. Set intentions for lent

3. Write a daily Lenten calendar

4. Hang up the Lady Lent
5. Make pretzels
6. Plant the sabzeh

Mardi Gras

Today is Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday- also called Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday. We've come to the end of the season of Carnival, which starts on Epiphany (January 6) and ends at Lent. Fat Tuesday is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. 

Agenda Today:
1. Make a screen mask
2. Make carnival corn soup with dumplings

Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa (масленица) is the oldest of all Russian holidays. It began as a spring equinox festival called Jarilo, named for the Slavic god of the vegetation and spring. Later it became a Christian holiday, starting on the Monday one week before the Eastern Orthodox Lent. 

Carnival season starts on Epiphany (January 6) and ends at Lent. This is the Russian version of Carnival, with eating, drinking, sledding, games, and costume parades. Even though it's now Christian in theory, all of its events still focus on driving away the winter and re-awakening nature.

In Russia, Maslenitsa lasts the entire week before Orthodox Lent, which starts next Monday, March 11. Since the Western Lent starts a week earlier (this Wednesday, March 6), I sometimes celebrate Maslenitsa a week earlier, but this year I'm just going to have a shorter version of Maslenitsa.

Agenda this week:

1. Journal queries
2. Make an effigy doll
3. Make blini pancakes
4. Spring cleaning

Hina Matsuri

Hina Matsuri is a Japanese festival that falls every year on March 3. It began in ancient times as a Shinto effigy ceremony to prepare farmers for the planting of spring crops: They would rub their negative energy off onto a paper doll, then float it down the river.

Shinto is the official religion of Japan. It is an optimistic faith: Shinto followers believe that humans are fundamentally good, and evil spirits cause evil in the world. Shinto's honor the kami-- spiritual essences that live in nature within the mountains, trees, and rivers. Shinto tradition says that there are eight million million kami in Japan.

Today girl's set up displays of dolls, have a tea party, and- yes- some people still send dolls down the river.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries
2. Make hina dolls
3. Make paper boats
4. The hina-okuri ceremony
5. Make hishi mochi and have a tea party
6. Prepare garden beds for planting
7. Plant the sabzeh

World Day of Prayer

The World Day of Prayer takes place every year on the first Friday in March. Women in the United States and Canada first formed this event after the devastation of World War I, when they were convinced that world peace was tied to world mission. 

Each year, Christian women from all over the world join together to plan and organize events, and suggest a theme and focus. This year the theme was set by the women of Slovenia:

Come - Everything is Ready! 

Luke 14:15-24

The invitation is grounded in the parable that Jesus told about a great dinner which was attended by the ones called off the streets, as the ones invited excused themselves. The community formed around the table is not enough to fill the house – there is still room. Who are missing from the table in your community?

Agenda today: 
1. Read Luke 14:15-24
2. Action on Immigration Justice 
3. Prayer for the homeless