Alleluia! He is Risen!

Source: www.streetartnews.net/2013/06/cosmo-sarson-new-mural-in-bristol-uk.html

#39 Holy Saturday

Lenten Writing Prompt #39
This is that strange in-between day: the day after the horrific crucifixion of Jesus, where everything and everyone seemed turned on it's head and abandoned Jesus, and before the promise of Easter has been realized, where everything was turned around again and death has no power.  What do you think you would have done or been like in this in-between day, if you had been there? 

#38 Good Friday

Good Friday Lenten Writing Prompt #38

Source: http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2009/02/yes-more-creative-prayer-stations.html

#37 Modern Day Foot-washing

Lenten Writing Prompt #37
What have you witnessed or what can you imagine as a foot-washing moment?  Something that you have witnessed done for "the least of these" - someone who has been overlooked - serving someone in an extremely personal way. 

#36 Prodigal Son

Lente Writing Prompt #36
Read or listen to Nadia Bolz-Weber's sermon on the prodigal son and write what it inspires in you or makes you think about.

#35 makingfishersofhumanity.com

Lenten Writing Prompt #35
Where would Jesus, the man, be in the world today.  Would he be online, tracking those that need help and exorcising trolls?  Teaching at a college?  A religious leader?  How would he get together with his disciples?  Who would they be?  Imagine the story of Jesus in today's context - either translating across from the original, or imagining a new, continuing story of Jesus in the world today. 

#34 All Are Welcome In God's House

Lenten Writing Prompt #34
What is the most important way that the church can be more inclusive right now?  What is a good way to find out?

Sunday Picture Prompt #5

Sunday Picture Prompt #5
When you go to Hawaii, it's often said you're on Hawaii time: that time is slower and somehow more savored.  The same is true with Godly Play.  Click on this link to watch a (9+ min) video on what Godly Play has to say about the mystery of the process of Lent to Easter and write about your wonderings.  (on my computer, the audio was low, so adjust accordingly)
Godly Play Story: The Mystery of Easter

#33 Versions of The Prayer Our Lord Taught Us to Pray....

Lenten Writing Prompt #33
The following link is to a pdf of several different translations and versions of The Lord's Prayer.  Choose a favorite one and write about it, or write your own, staying true to the core of what this sacred prayer means to Christians.  (If the original is still your favorite, go with it ; )  Go ahead and read them all!  You'll love them!
Alternative Versions of The Lord's Prayer

#32 WWJD With Toxic People?

Lenten Writing Prompt #32
Write about a toxic relationship and how you both resolved (or are still resolving) it as children of God.   Imagine what Jesus would do if he came back and had to deal with toxic people today.  Would he just cast out a demon or would he do what he did with Zacchaeus?

#31 #Good News

Lenten Writing Prompt #31
Write a letter to a young person at your church who is feeling that church and religion no longer resonate with them.  What would you say to that person? What does the church have that this young person would respond and that you can help them find or reclaim?  (you can use a real scenario, or you can make one up)

#30 We Are Family

Lenten Writing Prompt #30
Write about a family in the Bible that you can identify with because there is some parallel in your stories.  Or, you can write about a Biblical family that fascinates you.

#29 Pray for Your Enemies

Lenten Writing Prompt #29
Write a prayer for your "enemy".  Find an incident that is bothering or upsetting you in current events (politics, human rights, environmental issues, etc).  Gently and respectfully find a way to pray for them and to heal the brokenness that puts you and your enemy on opposite sides.

#28 Finding God Between the Notes

Lenten Writing Prompt #28
Write about a pop-culture (any decade), non-religious song that feeds your faith. 

Sunday Picture Prompt #4

Source: http://kareyscontemplations.blogspot.com/2008/03/loosing-myself.html

#27 Woof/Meow/Tweet - Amen.

Lenten Writing Prompt #27
Write about the connection of spirituality and animals.  Do they know there is a God?  Do they go to Heaven?  What can animals teach us about God, grace, and Spirit?

#26 Nice to meet you!

Lenten Writing Prompt #26
Today, write about a person in the Bible who the rest of us may not know about.  What's their backstory and how are they important to the bigger story, and/or influential to your faith.

# 25 Imagine

Lenten Writing Prompt #24
How does imaginatio5 strengthen your faith?  Are they linked?  Or are they two separate things?  Is one real and one fake?  Write about a faith-filled imagination today, or write about how they are different.

#24 Teach Me to Pray

Lenten Writing Prompt #23
How did you learn to talk to God?  When is your earliest memory of praying?

#23 Lookin' For Faith in All The Wrong Places

Lenten Writing Prompt #23
Write about a song that is not religious, but has religious meaning for you.  Unpack it's spiritual undertones (or overtones), and you get extra points for finding faith in the most unlikely places : )

#22 Vigilance and Prayer

Lenten Writing Prompt #22
In the Bible's book of Amos, the prophet says that people may act ‘good’, but they blind themselves to the plight of others living in their midst.  How have you blinded yourself and how can you stay vigilant and prayerful for others?

Sunday Picture Prompt #3

Reference: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ramonsaroldi/6996595615/in/photostream

#21 Closeup on a Natural Space Where You Meet God

Lenten Writing Prompt #21
This Saturday, dive deep.  We know that God is everywhere, but in what natural space do you feel God most acutely.  Write in detail about this experience: focus in on each droplet, each bark piece, each animal or bug, each color, smell, each emotion of that experience. 

#20 Science and Religion Face Off (Maybe)

Lenten Writing Prompt #20
Write about the relationship between religion and science.  Are they at odds with each other?  Do they work together?  Separate but equal?  Write a piece that takes both into account.

#19 Christ In our Hearts and Our Heads

Lenten Writing Prompt #19
What do you think about mental illness in the Bible?   Is there a story that you feel illustrates an aspect mental illness?  How can we mirror Jesus in including mental illness in our lives and our community or loving others or ourselves as God's unique creations?

#18 Reconnetion Connection

Lenten Writing Prompt #18
What is a ritual you do when you fee like you are far away from God and need to reconnect?  How do you resolve the feeling of disconnection and distance from God?   This may be from busy-ness, anger, doubt, or worry

#18 Addicted to Nostalgia?

Lenten Writing Prompt #18
Is nostalgia is an addiction that is holding the church back?  Even possibly destroying it? 

Traditions are what the church is built on and connect the past to the future.  Nostalgia is when we look back and try to hold on to the past while resisting the future.  In today's prompt, sort out what elements of the church you think are holding it back with nostalgia and what traditions (however ancient)  are moving forward, while keeping us rooted in Jesus Christ.  What should we do about it?

#17 The Challenges of Being a Community of Christ

Lenten Writing Prompt #17
Is there a part of being in a community - be it church, a club, school, work, that is a challenge for you?  How do you, as a Christian, resolve that? How might a church community differ from other communities?

Sunday Picture Prompt #3

#16 Offering Up Our Praise and Lament to You, O God

Lenten Writing Prompt #16
Today, write a Psalm of lament, praise, or both.

#15 Wearing the Clothes of Christ

Lenten Writing Prompt #15
“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
~ Galatians 3:27 

When you “Put on the clothes of Christ”, what does your “outfit” look like?  You can write about this literally or figuratively, of course.

#14 Into the Labyrinth

Lenten Writing Prompt #14
Write about an experience you have had with prayer labyriniths.

#13 Alternative Communion

Lenten Writing Prompt #13
Write about a time that you  experienced communion without the traditional elements (or write about a scene where this happens).  What did you use instead of bread and wine and how was it significant?  Do you believe that there can be alternate ways of experiencing communion without the elements that are traditional to use? 

#12 Voices for Justice

Lenten Writing Prompt #12
As Christian writers, do we have a responsibility to tackle contemporary issues about injustice in our work?  Can our voices make a difference?  Watch this 4:22 minute TED talk with Clint Smith, a poet, teacher, and doctorate candidate at Harvard.  Then, write a piece here about injustice.  Let his spoken word piece in the link below inspire your voice as well.
http://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence#t-147642
For more information about Clint, check out his website at www.clintsmithiii.com

#11 Remove Your Shoes

Lenten Writing Prompt #11
Describe a place, time, or experience that was on holy ground, where you met God. (Exodus 3:5)

Sunday Picture Prompt #2: Up

Sunday Picture Prompt #2

from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/farbspiel/4388983857/
Staircase of Ulm Minster Lutheran church in Ulm, Germany
taken by Klaus Herrmann

#10 Faith Questions

Lenten Writing Prompt #10
What is something about your faith tradition or the concept faith in general that you wonder about?  What questions keep you up at night?

#9 Transformation

Lenten Writing Prompt #9
Write about transformation and being made new, using the metaphor of a butterfly, a plant/flower, a snake, or something else that illustrates this.

#8 Dear Self,

Lenten Writing Prompt #8
Write a letter to your eighth-grade self and give them some guidance on faith, God, and/or religion in general.  What would your eighth-grade self want or need to hear?

#7 Gazing At God Through Mottled Glass

Lenten Writing Prompt #7
Write about a way that you visualize God that helps you focus your thoughts and prayer.  Sophia/Wisdom?  The traditional God on a cloud?  A Creatrix?  A Parent?  Write about the face that God shares with you.

#6 Fifteen-Year-Old Faith

Lenten Writing Prompt #6
Write about what your faith was like around the time you were confirmed (or if you were not, it's around 8th - 9th grade).  How has it changed? 

#5 God Is Among Us

Lenten Writing Prompt #5
Where did you see God today?  Write details about your experience and what  you saw.

Picture Prompt #1: Earth and All Stars

Image of pyramidal neurons, which are thought to be involved in the ability to process thought.

Credit: Jonathan Clarke © Wellcome Images. Creative Commons

website: The Journal.ie

We Pause To Bring You This Important Message...

If you are not able to post every day, do not worry! 

You are invited to run behind, just jump in, pick and choose, or however else you participate.

Even if you only write half the time, you would still have 20 pieces written!

For those who are new this year, I wanted to make sure that none of you feel discouraged.  Keep participating when you can.  It’s all very “Lenten” to fall short of our expectations.  We never fall short of God’s love.  Keep writing!  There are many others out there who have committed to reading and praying along and they (and I) are reading and praying for you!

If you have not participated yet and are on the fence, I invite you to jump in when the Spirit moves you (or even before that; sometimes the way to get inspired it to just start writing!) and join in.

Today is Sunday, so technically a break from the fasting and discipline of Lent.  That means I don’t post a traditional writing prompt.  However, I do post a extra picture prompt each Sunday because it’s fun to have a different way of being prompted to write if you don’t want to lose momentum.

Write. Reflect. Read. Pray. Encourage.

Blessings of inspiration and peace to you,

-          Ruth Hanley (blog coordinator)

#4 Reflecting on the Story Within You

Lenten Writing Prompt #4
In Genesis 1, we read that God created the world in seven days.  It goes over what was created each day, 1 through 7.  However, imagine these 7 days as the 7 phases of your faith journey over the course of your life.  Or, alternatively, you can imagine that just one of the days independently describes where you are right now.  Which day is today?  What do the other days look like in your faith journey? 

#3 Listen! Can You Hear the Call?

Lenten Writing Prompt #3
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s great hunger meet. " ~ Frederick Buechner - Where is this place for you?  Describe it with as much detail, planning, and extravagance as you want.

#2 Writing From the Wilderness

Lenten Writing Prompt #2
'Wilderness' is a metaphor that is used to describe the 40 days of Lent, recalling the 40 days that Jesus wandered in the wilderness. When you are in a wilderness,  It is a time of contemplation, uncertainty, fear, and even doubt.  It usually described as a lonely, bare, perhaps a little scary place. What metaphor best describes your wilderness?  The desert? The ocean? An icy landscape? A planet?  Something else?  Write about what this place looks and feels like to you, whether during Lent, or during a difficult time.  Today, we are naming our wilderness.

#1 Welcome to the Wilderness

Lenten Writing Prompt #1
Today is Ash Wednesday, when many of us go to church and receive ashes on our foreheads to remember the humble beginnings and endings of our earthly selves.  We are all people of Ash, who will return to ash one day.  What is it like to be one of them?  What are your reflections on Ash Wednesday?  Would you (or do you) create some other tradition to enter into the wilderness of the Lenten season?

Do You Want to Write? Join Us in the Lenten Writing Project! All Are Welcome.

Are you ready to write? 

Take some time out of your busy life to contemplate your spiritual self, your relationship with God, how you feel about spirituality, church traditions, peace, and the story around Holy Week. You will emerge from this experience with a renewed sense of spirit.  When writers talk about a muse, we as Christians, can also see the Holy Spirit in this gift of inspiration.  In this space of creativity that is nurtured by the Spirit, we share our words and encourage others on their spiritual writing journey.  You may choose to write along, read along, pray along, or drop in and write when you can.  

Here is some advice on writing for 40 days.  If you have tips to add on a helpful ritual that you use, how to stick with writing, beat writer’s block, or anything else you feel is helpful, leave it in a comment below.

Have a Ritual

Buy or use a candle that you light each time you write and let it represent the light of God, inspiring your words.  It helps to have your ritual involve the senses – use an essential oil that helps you focus, special music, or a focusing prayer before you start.  Even a deep breath can help!

Know When to Ditch Your Ritual

Sometimes our rituals become so elaborate that they keep us from writing.  If a ritual is getting too complicated, just sit down and write

Use Music To Inspire You

Pandora, Songza, and other online radio stations can play music based on a group or genre.  Another music resource comes from the Church of the Beloved in Edmonds.  They’ve offered a wonderful album free for anyone to listen to at http://belovedschurch.org/hope/ .The music is contemporary, contemplative, and quite beautiful.  (Don't begrudge them the "Alleluia" in their first song, or just skip over it ; )

Save the Document, Cut & Paste to the Blog
Sometimes glitches happen, so make sure you have your piece saved somewhere and cut and paste it to the blog.  Otherwise, you may lose it and have to start over! 

Try a Free-Write

Just start typing what comes to mind, using the prompt as a focus.  Don’t stop or edit your words for a full 10 minutes and see what comes out, even if your topic wanders somewhere else.  Writing guru Natalie Goldberg says writing like this taps into your “Wild Mind” - the part of your subconscious where some really awesome, untapped creativity lies.  When you are done, take your free-write and revise the part of it that you like into something you want to post.

Off-Topic is Fine

Sometimes you end up writing a piece that is off-topic from the prompt that was posted that day.  Post it anyway!  The spirit speaks to us in its own way and all inspiration is welcome

Keep it Holy, but Don’t be Shy

To be Holy, something is set aside for Godly purposes.  All of us are setting aside our time, our work, or our loved ones to turn aside and witness and share God’s love through words.  However, sometimes you may be inspired to write about pain, about sadness, about scary things.  Post what you are inspired to write about, even if it is in a minor key and let us support each other with love as well.

Don’t Forget to Comment and Support Others!

Part of the fun of this project is the support that the writers give each other as well!  You can comment with support for others’ work as well as receive comments.  Keep it positive because everyone is putting their hearts on the line when they write.

Follow Us on Facebook

Find tips, articles, and updates on our Facebook page: Spirit to Spirit: A Writing Community.  The prompts will be posted in this group, as well as writing articles and encouragement.

Blessings on your journey this year, through the wilderness of Lent!  Your writing friends are here to support you and help you with this holy work.