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Less than one week from Ash Wednesday, I'm starting to wonder if I will be able to choose to simplify my daily routine, slow down and attend to matters of the soul. As I think of Shrove Tuesday/Mardis Gras, I realize I may be "stuffing" all the work & preparation into the few days before.
Mind you, I don't recommend it. But if you find youself feeling something similar, I invite you to at least be mindful of it before stepping into the wilderness.
If you've not purchased a copy of the book, 15 copies will be available at church this Sunday, care of our friends at Cokesbury.
A 40 day journey with Parker Palmer (& Pastor Kelly)
Oh the places you'll go
40 Days with Parker Palmer
Just so you don't get confused, I am not Parker Palmer. In fact, I've never officially met Parker Palmer. I did attend one of his lectures once. Parker is a Quaker, an educator, a writer and a social reformer. Aside from the several weekly and monthly writing "assigments," I am not like Parker in any of those ways, but several of his books have helped me through some wilderness periods of my life in the past couple of years. When someone brought me this book, (the same someone who suggested this blog,) I knew it was destiny.
Lent has never been the "feel good" season of the church. On Ash Wednesday, we're reminded of our mortality, as we're marked with ashes for our penitential journey. Depending on the which gospel we're reading, on the first Sunday, we always watch Jesus get "driven" or "led" into the widlerness to be tempted. Unlike Christmas and Easter, the church will never have to worry about the retailers taking this season over. It's not easy to sell simplicity, solitude and self-reflection, unless you're talking about self-help books.
As wilderness journey's go, Lent can be a pretty lonely one. That's just how it is with self-reflection. Still, as we step into this stark spiritual wilderness to face God, it might be meaningful to know there are others wandering around in the wilderness too.
I hope your journey is blessed by this blog, the comments shared by other travelers and by the reflections of Parker Palmer.
Lent has never been the "feel good" season of the church. On Ash Wednesday, we're reminded of our mortality, as we're marked with ashes for our penitential journey. Depending on the which gospel we're reading, on the first Sunday, we always watch Jesus get "driven" or "led" into the widlerness to be tempted. Unlike Christmas and Easter, the church will never have to worry about the retailers taking this season over. It's not easy to sell simplicity, solitude and self-reflection, unless you're talking about self-help books.
As wilderness journey's go, Lent can be a pretty lonely one. That's just how it is with self-reflection. Still, as we step into this stark spiritual wilderness to face God, it might be meaningful to know there are others wandering around in the wilderness too.
I hope your journey is blessed by this blog, the comments shared by other travelers and by the reflections of Parker Palmer.
About Me
- Kelly Dahlman-Oeth
- Kirkland, Washington
- I don't know when it happened. It was so subtle, I didn't even notice it, but sometime in the last three or four years, I became one of "them." You know who I'm talking about -"those people" who say things like: "they call that music?" "we never would have been able to wear that," and "What's blogging?" I'm proud to announce, that's all history now. A few thougthful thirty somethings at church dragged me onto facebook, where I immediately became addicted to status updates. Two weeks ago, a wise 50 something person, suggested that "maybe someone should do a blog during Lent," and here I am. At 43 years old, I'm married to the smartest woman I ever met (I still can't figure out how I tricked her into marrying me.) Our four children keep us laughing (and doing laundry.) I'm also part of this great church in Kirkland. The people here keep teaching me how to be a better Christian, which is helpful, since I have to preach to them almost every Sunday.
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