Wake up to God’s Presence.
Let go of distraction.
Enter into life.
A Lenten Pilgrimage.
Each Sunday between now and Easter we will consider ways we can slow down and more readily and regularly be aware of God’s presence. Maybe there will be things you decide to let go of. Maybe there will be practices you take up. Perhaps both. But the goal is the same, awakening our hearts to the presence of God.
Between Sundays we encourage you to carve out time and space each day to pray, read, and sit in God’s presence. We have provided a renewed guide to prayer and meditation with the Psalms of Ascent from a few years ago. These Psalms were used by the people of God as they journeyed up (hence the phrase “ascent”) towards the holy mountain in Jerusalem for the holy feasts.
We can journey with them as we take our own pilgrimage towards the celebration of Easter. Our journey is meant to help us wake up to the reality of God’s presence.
We will begin in Psalm 120 on Ash Wednesday, and post a new reading every three days. These readings are meant to lead you to slow down, reflect, and pray. Spend time with these ideas. Memorize and pray these psalms. Enjoy the presence of God.
At the end of each reflection there are questions to consider. We encourage you to regularly process these with a friend.
Today’s Reading
The guided readings begin February 22nd, on Ash Wednesday and will go up until Good Friday. A new reading with a new psalm will post every three days.
You can jump in at anytime.
How to get the most out of this:
Read and meditate.
Carve out some time and space each day to read and pray the current psalm for that three days. Read slowly and intentionally. Get lost in these ancient songs.
Pray.
As you read, read in God's presence. Extend your heart to God in prayer. Be honest. Be vulnerable. Slow down.
Revisit.
Throughout the day, allow yourself to return to the psalm. Read it again. Pray again. Maybe consider memorizing it or bits of it that stand out to you.
Talk.
While a large portion of thjis will be donee alone, to get the most out of this we encourage you to share and reflect with a friend. Commit to taking this journey with someone. Share with one another what you hope to get out of this. What will your daily routine look like? Will you be letting anything go? Taking anything up? Encourage each other. Grow together with one another. Share your questions, struggles, and joys as you read the text together. Entering into a deeper relationship with God means entering into a deeper relationship with God's people. These pslams were not prayed alone and were likely sung as families and tribes and friends journeyed together towards the presence of God in Jerusalem.