{"id":15337,"date":"2022-02-10T08:25:54","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T14:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/?p=15337"},"modified":"2022-02-23T07:54:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T13:54:52","slug":"preparing-for-lent-for-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2022\/02\/preparing-for-lent-for-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Practicing Lent for Spiritual Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of us as pastors and ministry leaders are at this very moment preparing to guide others into this most significant season of the church year. One of the great temptations of life in leadership is that we become so focused on leading others\u2014it is our job, after all!\u2014that we cease\u00a0entering into these seasons of transformation for ourselves. We put off paying attention to the places where God is calling us<\/em> to the rigors of self-examination and repentance.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that Lent requires something of us. But there can be no feasting without fasting. Entering into the Lenten discipline of giving up something in order to create more space for prayer is the fast that prepares us to fully enjoy the Feast of the Resurrection. \u00a0My prayer and my plea is that part of your preparation would be to consider your own Lenten disciplines and bravely ask God, “Where in my life do I need to acknowledge my humanness and renounce my sinfulness? What are the disciplines that will help me return to God with all my heart?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Let us approach Lent, then, as an opportunity, not a requirement. Let us approach it as a joyful season. \u00a0\u201cAfter all, it is meant to lead us into the church\u2019s Springtime, a time when out of the darkness of sin\u2019s winter, a repentant empowered people emerges.\u201d (Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter)<\/em><\/p>\n

Journey with us Through Lent<\/h1>\n

Lent is just around the corner, and we are invited to enter this season as an opportunity to face more bravely the complexity of the human struggle for authentic transformation through greater surrender to God. To support this journey, we are launching a new season of the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership<\/em> podcast entitled, \u201cLent for Leaders: With God in the Wilderness.\u201d <\/b>Steve Weins returns with Ruth for\u00a0conversations around self-examination bringing expertise and insight into various aspects of the transformational process. We will face different aspects of the human struggle honestly and bravely, seeking God\u2019s help to transcend the false and live into the True.<\/p>\n

On Good Friday, we will also be hosting a virtual Stations of the Cross prayer service with Ruth Haley Barton and the Transforming Center team. More details coming soon. Lastly, visit our online store for exclusive Transforming Resources for Lent for yourself and your congregations.<\/p>\n

Ruth’s Top Five Book Recommendations for Lent<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

Bread and Wine:\u00a0Readings for Lent and Easter\u2014<\/i>Penetrating readings from a variety of spiritual writers offers breadth and depth of insight on the themes of this season. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Small Surrenders:\u00a0 <\/span>A Lenten Journey <\/i>by Emilie Griffin\u2014Short, simple reflections encourage us to move beyond the surface question,\u00a0What are you giving up for Lent?,\u00a0<\/i>and to embrace small surrenders\u2014\u201ca series of large and small conversions, inner revolutions, that lead to our transformation in Christ.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Way of the Heart <\/i>by Henri Nouwen\u2014<\/i>In his inimitable style, Henri Nouwen teaches us very practical ways to \u201cfashion our own wilderness\u201d\u2014one of the great themes of Lent. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Show Me the Way:\u00a0 <\/span>Readings for Each Day of Lent <\/i>by Henri Nouwen\u2014With simple and utterly human expressions of longing and need, Nouwen helps us in a special way to cry out for God\u2019s mercy as we enter into this holy season.\u00a0 <\/span>Especially if you are new to the practice of observing Lent, this is the guide book for you!<\/p>\n

Eastertide: Prayers for Lent through Easter<\/i> by Phyllis Tickle\u2014<\/i>Whatever disciplines we do or don\u2019t choose for Lent, at the very least we need a way to pray. Taken from her larger work, The Divine Hours,<\/i> this small, paperback volume provides fixed hour prayers to carry you prayerfully through the season of Lent. Don\u2019t leave home without it!<\/p>\n

\"Journey<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of us as pastors and ministry leaders are at this very moment preparing to guide others into this most significant season of the church year. One of the great…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transforming-resources"],"yoast_head":"\nPracticing Lent for Spiritual Leaders - Transforming Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/2022\/02\/preparing-for-lent-for-leaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Practicing Lent for Spiritual Leaders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many of us as pastors and ministry leaders are at this very moment preparing to guide others into this most significant season of the church year. 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