Writing Prompt for May/June

May/June's writing prompt: Gardens and Beginnings.  What do those words say to you?  Post your musings, poetry, prose and thoughts here!

Reflections

Post your reflections on the Lenten Blog Project - thoughts on your journey, now that we've finally crossed over into Easter.

He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

He is risen!  

What do you want to turn on its head in order to re-Godify (repurpose for God) in your life?

Stay Awake

If you were able to stay awake with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, what/how would you have prayed for Jesus at that time?  Write a prayer for him.

Wounds

Write out your Good Friday musings here.

Maunday Thursday

Have you washed anyone’s feet or had your feed washed at a Maunday Thursday service or any other time?  Have you ever participated in an act of service that was equal to this?  Write about your experience.

Communion of Saints

When did you first take holy communion?  What was your experience and what are your family traditions around it?  How has your view or how have your traditions changed?

Palm Sunday Picture Prompt

Rules

 Pick a strange rule in Leviticus and write about how you can make it relevant and poignant for your life.

Wilderness

Have you ever witnessed evil? How did you deal with it?

What's Your Favorite Psalm?

Pick a Psalm from the Bible – either at random or pick one that is meaningful to you and analyze it or write your thoughts.  

Hosanna Psalm

The word “Hosanna” translates to mean a word of both joyful exclamation and also “God deliver us”.  Write a psalm using the word Hosanna.

Tradition

What is a Jewish tradition that you are interested in?  How can it fit in with your journey through Lent or with your spiritual practice?

Children's Hour

What's a story or concept that you think would particularly touch children's hearts?  If you could write a religious story for children, what would it be about and how would you write it?  You can choose any age - infant through teen.  write the story, outline the concept or write an excerpt.  You can pick a difficult concept or story to explain to a child or a story that you remember loving and identifying with as a child.

Fellowship

Angels in the Wilderness

How do you think that the angels ministered to Jesus after his time in the wilderness?  Write about what it would have looked like if you could have witnessed it.

Choose a Disciple...

How would you minister to the disciple of your choice?  

Renewal

Write about something that you have seen or experienced lately that has renewed your strength.  It's been a hard Lent this year, it seems, but as Mr. Rogers says, "look for the helpers" in the midst of the wilderness.  What or who are your helpers?  I'm writing this prompt in full view of a riotous bouquet of electric yellow daffodils...

Standing Up to Hate With Love

Write about a time that you've stood up in the face of hatred for your beliefs.  Or, you can write about a time that you've witnessed or read/heard about and how that has inspired you.

Extra Picture-Prompt Today!

What does this picture say to you?  

Write about this picture - what is happening?  Sharing faith, patriarchal Christianity, becoming like a child...what strikes you about this picture?

Sensing God in the Midst of Pain and Fear

Write about a time that you've been in intense pain and/or fear.  How could you sense that God with you?  Were you aware of it at the time or afterword?  What was your experience?

South-Going Zax Meets North-Going Zax

How does this picture from the Dr. Seuss book, "The Zax" sometimes reflect our spirituality, ministry or selves in general with our relationship with God?  (quick refresher: one was travelling north and the other south - that was what they were named for and meant to do - and neither would step aside to let the other pass and instead, argued until the end of time.)

Suffering Servant

How can we become like a servant and maintain our dignity and identity?  Is that something that you think you need to maintain?  Do you believe in being a ‘suffering servant’?  Have you witnessed someone else who is?  Write about your thoughts on this characteristic as well as your experience.

Close As A Breath

Have you ever had moment with God like Jacob did, when God was as close as breath to him in a dream, speaking to him?  Write about that experience.  What did God have to say?

Saint Sparrow

Write about the perspective of a non-human character in the Bible.  The colt that Jesus rode, one of the sparrows that never has to worry because God cares for it, the animals at the manger, what are some others?  

Faith

How do you explain your faith to others?

Take and Eat

Do you have an experience giving support, money or food, etc. to someone that affected you in a profound way?

"With Me, You Will Pinterest Real People With The Spirit..."

 If you met Jesus during his ministry, how do you think that would go for you?  Without the hindsight of the Bible, would you recognize him?  Write about your meeting, based on what you know about yourself.

Angels

What is your position on angels, exactly?

Oh The Places You'll Go!

In some countries, it is the tradition to visit 7 churches during Holy Week.  What is a church that you have or would like to visit?  Why or what was your experience?  How did it enhance your faith?  You can view this slideshow of unusual churches all over the world for inspiration. (Note: You can write about more than one of course!)

Walking on...Hindsight

 If you were Peter, how would things have been different when walking to Jesus on the sea?  Write about a scenario of you in this story, either in the boat or walking to Jesus or somewhere else...How do you interpret this story for your life?  

Are You There God? It's Me...

Write about seeing God in somewhere - or someone - unexpected.  What did you learn?

40

The season of Lent is 40 days (excluding Sundays) to represent Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness.  Noah was adrift in the flood for 40 days and 40 nights. The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert.  Connect these wilderness times together and to your own experience.  Also, what is the deal with the number 40?  Are there any other 40's in the Bible that are worth including here?

 

Sacred Steps

Have you ever walked a prayer labyrinth?  What was your experience?  If you haven't walked a prayer labyrinth, have you ever taken what you considered to be a sacred walk?  Where and when and why what made it sacred to you?

Unresolved Questions

What is a faith question that is unresolved for you?  Attempt to resolve it through writing...How can this process of trying to resolve it be spiritually meaningful?

Sunday's Picture Post

St. Macklemore?

Write about a secular song that you you use for spiritual renewal and purpose.  Fee free to include a link to a recording (or you tube) of that song.

Spirit Scent

Write about a scent that you associate with your religion or spirituality.

Everyday Holy

Folding clothes, eating breakfast, taking a walk, driving, blowing your nose, kissing your kids good night, washing your hands medication...

What have you found to be holy, despite its mundane, everyday status?  What is a seemingly secular, everyday activity or object that is or has been holy to you in your life?  This is a challenge to find the most mundane, ordinary thing in your life right now that is holy because God's abundance of love means that everything and everyone in this world is holy.  It's up to you to 'set it apart' and notice God's blessings, so take your pick and write away!

Picture God

What does God look like, or how do you imagine God to be when you pray or think about God.  A parent?  A king?  Or something else?  Is the way you picture God in your mind the way you want to see God, or are you striving for a different understanding to take form when you pray?

Sainthood

Do you know of any Catholic saints that we should know about?  How is their life inspiring to you?  Is there someone from the body of Christ's communion of saints that you would like to write about?  Someone from history or someone that you personally know?  

Bright Sadness

In Eastern Orthodox religions, Lent is known as a “bright sadness” and they take breaks from Lent and fasting on Sundays.  In your life, how do you take a break when you have suffered times of depression, grieving or deep processing in order to sustain yourself?  Do you observe a Sabbath in the process of your Lenten journey?

Sundays in Lent: Picture Prompt

Each Sunday during the Lenten season, a picture is posted for your writing prompt.  Since Sundays are technically Lent-free, we do something different that day.  What does this picture inspire you to write?  (taken from www.internetmonk.com)

Pages, Screens and Songs That Inspire Change

Is there a book, movie, sermon, musical, blog post, or song (or something else along those lines!) that changed your thinking in a spiritual way?  Share what it was and write about it.  If you have more than one, write about as many as you want!

Purple Hibernation

Often, during Lent, holy pieces on the altar are draped in a purple cloth.  What can you drape in a cloth, physically or mentally, during Lent to help you focus on your spiritual journey? What is the significance of this for you?

Ashes

What goes through your mind when you receive the ash cross on your forehead on Ash Wednesday?  Write about the significance of ash and of contemplating the dust you shall return to.  Is this joyful, terrifying, comforting?  How does this ritual prepare your for the Lenten season?

The Lenten Writing Labyrinth Begins

This Lenten writing project is a journey.  If you set aside time to read along or if you commit to writing each of the 40 days of Lent, it can be a process to deepen and clarify your spiritual beliefs.  Think about Jesus, on the road to Jerusalem and take a walk today and/or think about what is on your road.  What is barring your way to a deeper spiritual relationship with God?  Can you include that ‘interruption’ as a cohesive part of your spiritual journey?

People Get Ready...

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.  The day before Lent begins is sometimes celebrated with a range of Bacchus-like events like food, dancing, Mardi Gras and free pancakes at IHOP.  Is there a way to reclaim or repurpose any of these traditions into a helpful transitional ritual before our time of reflection and deepening our relationship with God?  I hope you will join me, along with other writers from around the US in committing yourself to go deep this Lent through writing, reading or praying along these next 40+ days.  God be with you.