Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Practices From the Inside Out: A Writing Practice for Lent

Practices From the Inside Out: A Writing Practice for Lent

Last updated on: February 2, 2022 at 5:49 am by Greg Richardson

Practices From the Inside Out: A Writing Practice for Lent 2022-02-02T05:49:00-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Writing Practice for Lent

Lent is a liturgical season which, for many of us, turns our attention to spiritual practices. We try to give something up or we choose to begin practicing something new. This year I would like us to think about building a writing practice.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is March 2 this year. Our liturgical calendar gives us a few weeks to reflect and consider what practice is right for us this year.

Many of us see spiritual practices as ways for us to behave. We hope we can behave our way into stronger spiritual life. Some of us identify behaviors we want to set aside, like smoking or swearing or eating chocolate. Others of us decide we would like to develop new spiritual practices like praying the hours or reading classic books.

I believe Lent this year is a significant opportunity to develop a writing practice.

Some of us have spent much of the last couple of years on our own and have had plenty of time for contemplation. We have faced new challenges and struggles with time to reflect. Some of us have been working harder than ever these last two years and need a way to pull our thoughts and experiences together.

A writing practice for Lent can help us take the time we need to organize our thinking and express ourselves.

This Lent can show us how to take the time we need to put our insights and questions down on paper. The writing itself will help us understand ourselves better. Having things written down gives us the opportunity to read and reflect on them in days to come.

Starting a Writing Practice for Lent

We do not need to motivate ourselves or organize this new writing practice on our own. I have a friend who is an excellent writer and has helped me develop a writing practice.

Robin Rauzi is a friend I know through church. Robin has a Bachelor’s degree in screenwriting from the University of Southern California and a Master’s in journalism from Ohio University. She has worked as an editor at the Los Angeles Times and edits commentary for RAND, a nonprofit think tank.

A few years ago Robin was inspired to add something to her life instead of giving something up for Lent. She began a writing practice for Lent, writing on a blog each day and posting it on social media. Her practice that year transformed the way she wrote and how she understands writing.

The next year, after some time in mediation and contemplation, Robin became convinced she should create a writing program based on what she had learned about Lent. She began with a handful of people she knew, including me, and created a writing practice bootcamp to help people start their own practices. Robin designed it to have some structure with daily writing prompts and multiple motivators to help people keep going.

A few years ago Robin created a version of her bootcamp specifically for Lent called 40 Days + 40 Writes. She uses the revised daily lectionary as the source for her writing prompts. The prompts themselves are not specifically Biblical and anyone can write from them. Robin began offering 40 Days + 40 Writes people at our church, and to previous participants. I also participated in 40 Days + 40 Writes. This Lent she is reaching out to other congregations.

It is a helpful way to begin a writing practice.

Beginning a Writing Practice This Lent

I have participated in Robin’s program twice, and have learned practical lessons about writing as a spiritual practice.

As with all disciplines, there can be a tension between having something to write about and getting something written. Particularly when we are writing about spiritual life, it can be a challenge to express sacred stillness with words.

Lent is a season of reflection and radically examining ourselves. A writing practice in Lent can be an excellent way to spend tie each day going beneath the surface of ourselves and putting our truths into words. It is an opportunity for us to take time to pay attention to what we often miss. We listen to what stillness has to tell us and we can share it with other people.

This year’s 40 Days + 40 Writes will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 2, and continue through Lent.

Robin’s online writing prompts begin with texts fro the lectionary, and she creatively heads off in intriguing directions. The free seven-week writing journey is a way to consider how we are becoming who we are and the values and behaviors which might steer us forward.

For more information or to register, click here: https://40days40writes.com/classes/lent

We have the potential to change how we experience and understand Lent, and ourselves, and we can become better writers.

A Contemplative Writing Practice

This year for Lent, we have the opportunity to take our time, to pay attention, to listen to sacred stillness.

We can sit still, take a some deep breaths, and listen to what life has to tell us. As we listen, we can practice writing down what we hear and remembering what we are told.

This practice is not about meeting goals or accomplishing tasks. We do not have anyone leaning over our shoulders or breathing down our necks, weighing us down with expectations.

The sacred stillness all around us and within us saturates our world. We soak in its healing and refreshing warmth.

As we sit and listen we begin to realize, one word and sentence at a time, we have something to say.

A contemplative writing practice is a journey we take one word at a time.

Lent is a season of contemplation and listening, recognizing the stories we live and the selves we know.

We begin to listen and the distractions which draw our attention away begin to lose their hold on us.

The words we seek are within us.

How will we begin a new writing practice for Lent this year?

Where will our writing practice take us today?

[Image by mrsdkrebs]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual director in Southern California. He is a recovering assistant district attorney and associate university professor, and is a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s website is StrategicMonk.com and his email address is [email protected].

Blog

Spiritual Practices

Previous Post

January 27, 2022

Listening to Sacred Stillness: The Music of Stillness

Next Post

February 3, 2022 Monastic Strategies: Being a Monk in the City

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Thomas Peter John the Baptist Paul