Lent is one heck of a busy season!

I am sure you may have noticed my lack of posting. I guess being a solo pastor is a whole lot more consuming than I thought it would be. One of the things that has kept me so busy is our Lenten Season Meditation Series. For those of you back in New York who are wondering what I have been up to, here is what we have done and will do throughout Lent.

Meeting every Wednesday night, I have been introducing the congregation to various meditation exercises aimed at personal and spiritual introspection. With Lent being a time of self-examination, I figured it'd be super to offer ways in which the congregation might explore such a pursuit. So far, we have had an introduction to Zen Buddhist meditation, led by a friend who is a Zen Buddhist monk (or something like that). The church folks loved it!

Then we have an evening of meditation and song. Using the meditation techniques of our Zen Buddhist to quiet ourselves, I then played several musical instruments, some clanging and others more soothing to point out how our bodies react to sound. We began with a loud and annoying tamborine, followed by drums, and ending with a rain stick.

Then, quieting ourselves, we witnessed how our bodies reacted to music. I first used a song from Enya, then a song from a pan flutist (yes, I do have and own a cd of Zamfir, but don't tell anyone, okay?), and then we listed to a gospel song by Elvis Presley. Everyone noticed how our bodies and minds responded to each instrument and song.

Tomorrow night we are going to participate in a prayer Labyrinth that I was able to borrow from Sister Georgette in Jersey City. It is a 7-circuit labyrinth and we will walk it while praying to ourselves and for one another.

Next week we'll have a journaling and meditation session where we will engage in a guided meditation that we will then write down what we "saw" during our journey. We'll do this several times and then hand out exercises for the group to take home.

Finally, on our last Lenten Wednesday, we'll have a Taize worship service. In the service, we'll sing prayerful chants, offer up our prayers for one another, and reflect on the entire Lenten series.

One of my challenges throughout this season is that with many of the meditations, I haven't been as familiar with the activities as one might think when preparing for them. So, I have spent a lot of time learning, studying, and reading about each meditation and finding ways to incorporate them into my own spiritual journey.

Have any of you, who read this blog, done any of the above meditations? If so, I'd love to hear about them- you can respond to this entry and let others know of your experiences too.