40 Days – Beguine Again

Mar52014 by TerriNo Comments

Lent Begins: Now What?

Today is the beginning of Lent. Lent is that time in the Christian calendar that reminds it's adherents of the last 40 days of the life of Jesus. It is often observed by activities that represent sacrifice - giving up coffee, or sugar, or even meat. There are many ways we can give up! The flip side is that it is also observed by a "taking on" - a new prayer practice, art, walking, etc. Sacrifice & taking on. Or ... sacrifice & willingness. And don't sacrifice & willingness go hand-in-hand? You must be willing in order to sacrifice. And often, you must sacrifice to create willingness. But through it all, we can become task oriented. Yes? Isn't this what we do? The season is to create an expansive heart and we fill it with rules and tasks. Task: Become more willing Rules: Prayer...

News: 40 Days

spiritual practice, Spirituality

Begin again and journey through the next 40 days with each other as we ponder what it means to sacrifice and to be willing. This group is open to all! Please bring your creative and willing spirits and perspectives. We are found at http://www.facebook.com/groups/BeguineAgain/ Sacrifice as a spiritual practice had always been one that confused me. I would think of the Temple in Jerusalem and wonder why they were wasting all that perfectly good food; God certainly didn’t need it. It began to dawn on me that I might be taking the practice too literally. Sacrifice is done as a ritual act and as such, is a symbol of something else. But what? Sacrifice is a letting go of something but who wants to let go of what they love? In the new age circles sacrificing what was no longer useful or wh...

Roots

Spirituality

For the Lenten Photo Invitation The Last Installment Two Stories: "The Bodhi Tree" and "The Tree of Life" The Bodhi Tree-from Buddhist Studies Siddhartha remembered meditating under the rose-apple tree when he was a child. "I shall meditate as I did before. Perhaps that is the way to become enlightened." From then on he began to eat daily. Still seeking a way to understand the meaning of life, Siddhartha set out for Buddhagaya. Near a grove, he sat down under a huge Bodhi tree. Silently he vowed, "Even if my flesh and blood were to dry up, leaving only skin and bones, I will not leave this place until I find a way to end all sorrow." He sat there for forty nine days. He was determined to discover the source of all pain and suffering in the world. Mara, the evil one, tried to scare hi...