I’ve shared the observance of Lent with friends before, so I’m happy that this year will be one of those years. Together with my friend Violet Nesdoly, who is an author, poet and visual artist, we’ll have a Lenten conversation week by week through Lent. This year Violet will visually create her half of the conversation while I’ll write poems. Each week, one of us will start the conversation. This week, I wrote the poem, sent it to Violet and she responded with her painting. Next week, she’ll send me a painting, and I’ll respond with a poem. The created pieces will be posted together once per week and will create a holy conversation to which you’re invited to listen.

Lent is here —
so surrender.
Let effort melt into Mercy.
Let piety dissolve into Presence.
As evening comes allow shadows
to soothe scorched senses.
Repent.
Rest.

© 2021 Laurel Archer, all rights reserved

Title: Step Aside
Artist: Violet Nesdoly
Water-color paints, Pigma Micron pen, painted on 140 lb. water-colour paper, 6 X 9 inches.

Absolutely one of favourite things to do is create with others. You might cringe at that, thinking about the dreaded “group projects” that intruded upon school work that was otherwise straightforward. I’m not sure I enjoyed those either, to be honest. But, as I wrote poems with others, I learned something serendipitous happens. ‘Serendipity,’ you’ll remember is the ‘an unexpected delight.’ It does however, require trust — in yourself and in others.

I’d have to say, that any spiritual discipline is also a bit like a group project . It’s an activity you partake in with God, who is Three in One (Father, Son, Spirit) and well, that makes the effort a small group project! And there’s also trust involved. You do your part, work hard and trust the partners do too so that the result is greater than it’s parts. Lent is just an extended group project! And why shouldn’t the ‘project’ be something we find enriching, enjoyable, and enlivening?

May you each have a blessed Lent.