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I’m on a bit of a roll with the Anglican suggestions for Lent this week:-

Carbon fasting for Lent?

The Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, and the Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, are among those calling for a carbon fast for Lent

Cross-post from David over at Anglican Samizdat:-

Anglican bishops suggest we turn off our iPods for Lent. I didn’t think the average bishop knew what an iPod was:

The bishops of Liverpool and London have called on us to give up our iPods for Lent, which starts today, Ash Wednesday. That’s a sacrifice of which most of us, of a certain age, can heartily approve, since we don’t actually own iPods. But we might wonder what the point of it all is.

It’s appears to be one of the Church of England’s seasonal flurries of post-modern rubrics, like being told which carols are politically incorrect at the start of Advent. When it comes to Lent, we’re cutomarily told that it’s about a whole lot more than giving up booze and chocolate, that we should take up worthwhile activities too and, in the techno age, that some central Church Deep Thought will text us a daily scriptural bon mot if we just ask for it.

And where could that glimpse lead? One destination could be a church like mine, where this evening the choir will sing Allegri’s Miserere, its repeated soprano refrain like an angel’s wail from heaven and the transcendental beauty and spiritual re-assurance of which moves the undistracted listener to tears. It’s certainly worth turning your iPod off for.

Unless, like me, you have Allegri’s Miserere on your iPod; that is worth turing your iPod on for.

Turning off your iPod during Lent is all part of the CofE’s batty bishops contingent Carbon Fast plan. It includes not flushing the toilet – something that fits nicely with no iPod since you won’t be tempted to sit listening to Allegri’s Miserere while sitting on a pile of unflushed poop.

Another suggestion from our technically astute bishops is to:

Eat by candlelight. How many rooms do you light in the evenings? Turn out the lights and have a meal by candlelight.

which will fill the air with benzene, styrene, toluene, acetone and particulate matter. At least it will take everyone’s mind off the unflushed toilets.

I do like the idea of the carbon averse bishops being as disconnected from the Internet as they are from reality, though; perhaps they should also switch their microphones off while delivering sermons.

And now for something a little more sensible from our Lutheran brother over at CyberBrethren:-

Prayer of the Church – Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, Your people come to You with weeping and mourning over all our sins, yet we give You thanks that You are gracious and merciful to us. Grant to us Your Holy Spirit that our hearts may be contrite, our faith steadfast and immovable, and our hope built securely upon Your cross.

We praise You for all Your loving care over our lives; for Your Word which accomplishes Your purpose and manifests Your saving glory to the whole world; for those who bring Your Word to us–all pastors, missionaries, church workers and church leaders. Keep us in Your Word that we may rightly divide Your Law and Gospel and hold fast to the doctrine of the apostles all our days.

We remember before You those who stand against Your Word and the reign of Your kingdom–both among the nations and their leaders, and those who have closed off their hearts to the voice of Your mercy. Bring them to repentance, and restore all those who have fallen away or been overcome by error.

We pray for good weather and good harvest, for good government and good leaders, for good schools and good teachers, for good service from those in the armed services of our nation, police, firefighters, medical and emergency personnel. Protect us against all enemies and from natural and man-made disasters.

We invite You into the homes where Your people dwell that they may be places of blessing and faith and love. Help husbands and wives to live in holy love and to be faithful in the vows and promises they have made. Bless the children in these homes that they may grow up to know You and to love You. Be with the widowed, the families broken by divorce, and the orphans.

We ask You, O Lord, to teach our hearts gratitude for all Your gifts and generosity toward those in need. Help us to support the poor, to feed the hungry, to assist the unemployed and to care for the hurting. We pray [especially for . . . names of the sick and those in need] that the suffering may find relief, the sick may find healing, the mourning may find comfort, and the dying may find peace in the arms of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

We beg You to keep us from being distracted by the things of this world, to keep us from being overcome by the chances and changes of this mortal life, and to be firmly anchored in the arms of Your mercy and grace in Jesus Christ. As He came among us to walk in holy life to the suffering of the cross, help us as we walk with Him in this Lenten journey, that we may learn to trust in Him evermore and to rejoice in what He has accomplished for us and for our salvation.

We look forward to the day when all our troubles and trials will be ended and we shall dwell in Your presence forevermore. Until that day comes, keep us faithful and guard us against all our enemies. And when that day comes, O Lord, receive us into the fellowship of all Your saints, in the blessed reunion with those who have gone before us with the sign of faith and now rest from their labors; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom be glory and honor, now and forevermore.
Amen.

Source: LCMS Commission on Worship

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Tags: Church Life

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