2022 Lenten Spiritual Practices

Beloved in Christ,

Lent begins in a few short weeks, on Wednesday, March 2nd. I believe that the most important thing we can seek in and for our church is spiritual revival, a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit to enliven our own souls and our life together. This is particularly true when we are all depleted, even burnt out, from how hard the past years have been. In a time of great cultural and institutional complexity, I believe God is inviting us to return to the simple spiritual practices that have sustained people on the way of Jesus from generation to generation. I hope that this Lent will be a time for us to rest, together, in God through keeping simple habits of prayer. To help with this, Canon Blair Pogue has assembled these five spiritual practices, one for each week of Lent. I hope that you will use them in your individual lives and in your congregations as a way of helping to nourish our parched spirits with the living waters of God's love.

Prácticas espirituales de la Cuaresma 2022
HMONG - Lenten Spiritual Practices 2022
လ့တၤသးစီဆှံ တၢ်မၤလိလၢ ၂၀၂၂

Some of these practices may speak to you, and some may very well not. In feeding both our souls and our bodies, one type of food is rarely sufficient for health and vitality. This invitation to prayer and reflection is simply an opportunity to make space for the Holy Spirit to renew you, and for you to observe the Holy Spirit at work in your life. Both during and after Lent, we'll invite people from around the diocese to share their reflections on the experience of engaging these practices together. If, at any time during or after Lent, you wish to share your reflections on this experience, please send those to Emilia Seay Allen, your missioner for communications, at emilia.a@episcopalmn.org.

Reminders of pain, loss, and death always have and, this side of God's reign, always will surround us. As we prepare to walk the way of Lent again, may we be ever mindful that Jesus is deeply present in all that we suffer, walking each step with us, and that even in the deepest darkness, we wait in hope for the glory of resurrection light.

The Right Reverend Craig Loya
X Bishop
Episcopal Church in Minnesota