On Adding To Not Giving Up
Probably a decade ago I encountered the idea of adding something for Lent instead of giving something up. I was a member of Ecunet. A ministry colleague whose name has long since faded into the recesses of my fifty-plus recycle bin wrote a Haiku based on a reading from a daily lectionary. He would post the poem in a meeting on Ecunet. I was inspired and impressed by the idea, and right then realised that there can be just as much discipline in sticking to an accepted task as there is in giving something up. In fact, if the discipline, like his, includes a piece of writing or art, then not only is the life of the artist focused on the Lenten discipline, but it is also likely that others will be given the opportunity to learn something about themselves and their relationship with God, as long as there is a place for the work to be placed in public view.
Probably a decade ago I encountered the idea of adding something for Lent instead of giving something up. I was a member of Ecunet. A ministry colleague whose name has long since faded into the recesses of my fifty-plus recycle bin wrote a Haiku based on a reading from a daily lectionary. He would post the poem in a meeting on Ecunet. I was inspired and impressed by the idea, and right then realised that there can be just as much discipline in sticking to an accepted task as there is in giving something up. In fact, if the discipline, like his, includes a piece of writing or art, then not only is the life of the artist focused on the Lenten discipline, but it is also likely that others will be given the opportunity to learn something about themselves and their relationship with God, as long as there is a place for the work to be placed in public view.
Our household considered the idea of giving up meat for the season of Lent, but all of us, having had a few weeks to consider the idea realized how difficult that was going to be for us. Of course that's the whole idea, but it wasn't just the discipline we would have to have for our own meal preparations, but also the requirement that each of us would have in trying to avoid meat in meals cooked by others. All of us have either trips or special meals planned for some point in the season and it just looked like it was going to be extra difficult to stick to it. Of course, there will be some meatless dishes. It isn't that there was a certain appeal to the idea when we first considered it.
What to do?
But then I thought. What can I add for Lent?
I have admittedly struggled to find time and topic for this blog, at best being spurred on by the "every two month" deadling that comes to me for articles in "In Contact". What about a discipline of blogging every day during the season of Lent?
So here we go. Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent and so far it is working! I'll take Sundays off - just like Lent does, and I still have those trips I referred to before, so it may take some creative use of technology to get it done, but this is going to be my Lenten discipline - 2010 - an entry every day in this blog.
It may seem crazy in a busy life to add something but I have faith that the beauty and power of this ancient tradition will work its own power for me.
And you'll get to hear about it! Let me know how you think it is going! 
I'm also going to to try to take a photo every day and add it along with my words.
Today's view is the one I have from my office window, looking out on the downtown of Yellowknife on a mild (-11 deg c) winter day. It's the kind of day we don't usually get in Yellowknife - sunny and mild. Usually the brighter the day, the colder the temperature.
Yellowknife,
Ash Wednesday, February 17
