Lent As A Spiritual Practice

Error message

  • Deprecated function: Return type of DatabaseStatementBase::execute($args = [], $options = []) should either be compatible with PDOStatement::execute(?array $params = null): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 2244 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DatabaseStatementEmpty::current() should either be compatible with Iterator::current(): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 2346 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DatabaseStatementEmpty::next() should either be compatible with Iterator::next(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 2346 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DatabaseStatementEmpty::key() should either be compatible with Iterator::key(): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 2346 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DatabaseStatementEmpty::valid() should either be compatible with Iterator::valid(): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 2346 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DatabaseStatementEmpty::rewind() should either be compatible with Iterator::rewind(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 2346 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in drupal_random_bytes() (line 2268 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/bootstrap.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DateObject::__wakeup() should either be compatible with DateTime::__wakeup(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 143 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date_api/date_api.module).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DateObject::format($format, $force = false) should either be compatible with DateTime::format(string $format): string, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 143 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date_api/date_api.module).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DateObject::setTimezone($tz, $force = false) should either be compatible with DateTime::setTimezone(DateTimeZone $timezone): DateTime, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 143 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/date/date_api/date_api.module).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: rtrim(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in url() (line 2349 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/common.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property ctools_context::$plugin is deprecated in ctools_context_create_entity() (line 62 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/ctools/plugins/contexts/entity.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property ctools_context::$id is deprecated in ctools_context_get_context_from_argument() (line 1197 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/ctools/includes/context.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property ctools_context::$plugin is deprecated in ctools_context_create_user() (line 35 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/ctools/plugins/contexts/user.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property ctools_context::$id is deprecated in ctools_access_get_loggedin_context() (line 1862 of /home/cafechur/public_html/sites/all/modules/ctools/includes/context.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property PDOException::$query_string is deprecated in DatabaseConnection->query() (line 770 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property PDOException::$args is deprecated in DatabaseConnection->query() (line 772 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/database.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: strpos(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($haystack) of type string is deprecated in url_is_external() (line 2393 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/common.inc).
  • Deprecated function: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in url_is_external() (line 2395 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/common.inc).
  • Deprecated function: ltrim(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in url() (line 2311 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/common.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property SelectQuery::$alterTags is deprecated in SelectQuery->addTag() (line 978 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/select.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Creation of dynamic property DatabaseCondition::$stringVersion is deprecated in DatabaseCondition->compile() (line 1865 of /home/cafechur/public_html/includes/database/query.inc).

I suspect that for most people in Cafechurch, Lent is a bit of an unknown. It sounds boringly self-denying, isn't part of our tradition, and flirts dangerously with works righteousness. I hope that this presentation might go a little way to counteract that. Fun fact - mega-evangelist John Wesley used to fast weekly.

However, having said that, wherever spiritual practices are, um, practiced, there is the opportunity for irritating levels of self-righteousness, dull legalism, and the attempt to make God love you (you know that God already loves you anyway, right?)

So, this is an invitation to enjoy Lent, to wring the most possible juice out of your Spiritual Journey, to live as much into the story of Easter as you possibly can.

If you are thinking of taking up a prayer practice, then here are a couple of resources:

  • The Irish Jesuits run a wonderful thing called Sacred Space. It is a prayer and bible thing, takes about 10 minutes, updated every day. You could commit to doing it daily, or a couple of days a week.
  • Light a candle. Play some gentle music. You could pray the Examen every night (or some nights)

Here is the presentation. Enjoy!

Resource