A blessed Ash Wednesday to you and your family.
Today marks the beginning of the 40 day penitential season of Lent. It is a time specifically set aside for us to … “fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
We consider the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus so that we might repent of our sins and receive all the gifts that only the Triune God can give.
One way to think about Lent (and all of the Christian life) is to see it as a season that teaches us how to daily …
- repent of our sins
- receive the forgiveness of sins that is purchased, won, and delivered in the person and work of Jesus
- respond to and rejoice in the gift of forgiveness through love toward God and service toward the neighbor
- and then, we repeat each step (because the whole life of the Christian is one marked by repentance)
Lent 2023 – The Receptive Life
Beginning today, I’m offering a Lenten digital series called … The Receptive Life.
It’s a distinctly Lutheran spiritual formation process (or perhaps better said, a “cruci-formation” process) that is …
- rooted in the Scriptures
- anchored in the weekly Divine Service
- and framed by the chief parts of Martin Luther’s Small Catechism.
Unlike most spiritual formation programs that focus on the work, performance, or effort of the individual, The Receptive Life emphasizes the work of the Triune God and directs us to all of the places and means by which the Word (in Scripture, the Sacraments, and in Jesus) does its work on us.
By the end of The Receptive Life Lenten journey, you will have a simple framework that will help you daily and weekly go to all of the places where the Triune God has promised to do His work and give His gifts.
One Page Summary – Introduction and Overview
Each week I will provide you with a “One Pager”.
As the name suggests, it is a one page summary of all of the videos and resources that you will need. This week we begin with …
- An Overview of The Receptive Life
- The Back Story
- An Introduction to the Daily Practice
You can access the OnePager in the picture and button below.
All of the Resources
Here are all of the resources that you will need for the Lenten Journey …
- Step By Step Guide
- 90 Day Spiritual Journal
- Video Study Guide
- access to the private Lutheran Spirituality community platform so that individuals can ask their questions, comment, or connect with others
The Plan for Each Week
During each week of The Receptive Life video series I’ll walk you through a different “station” of the daily practice.
- Station 1: The Sign of the Cross and the Trinitarian Invocation
- Station 2: The Evening and Morning Prayer
- Station 3: Examining Life Through the 10 Commandments, Confession and a Life of Repentance
- Station 4: Reading, studying and meditation on the Scriptures
- Station 5: The Commendation of This Life Into the Lord’s Hands (evening and morning)
- Station 6: Proclaiming a Doxology and Receiving the Blessing of the Triune God
Each week I’ll also provide a video conversation recorded with Dr. Gregory Schulz (of Lutheran Philosopher) that will review and spark some thoughts about that week’s daily practice
During the Lenten journey, you’ll learn the basics of the Christian faith, how to practice, daily repeat, and make us of them so that you can …
- defend against the attacks of the “unholy trinity”,
- fight with the work and promises of Jesus
- and receive all of the gifts that only the Triune God can give
If you would like the videos sent daily to your inbox, you can sign up below. After subscribing, the content should be delivered to your email each morning by 6 am (EST).
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Come what may, we do belong to Jesus!
Paul
P.S. For access to all links resources, you can go here.