Unplug for Good Friday’s Sake: A Time to Quiet the Noise

Lent 2018 officially ends with Maundy Thursday, when we remember Jesus’s last meal with his friends.

You may remember that I pledged to keep “Tech Shabbats,” this Lent, a 24-hour periodin which I’d put away my smartphone. Guess how that went?

It’s hard to edge out the addictive noise that reinforces who we think we are. It’s a tough lesson, one I learn over and over:

“These stimuli aren’t going away; they are now a part of our everyday life. Sometimes, we try to tune them out—but it’s hard. Our modern culture and economy drive us to respond to noise, so stepping out for quiet may seem next to impossible.”

As we wrap up Lent 2018, we remember why this liturgical season is different from any other time in our church calendars. It’s when we are called to intentionally cut out all that gets in the way of moving through the wilderness with Christ into Holy Week. But I suggest that we keep our Lenten posture until Easter and beyond. Why?

What does it mean to be a Lenten people who continue to sit quietly and wait for the resurrection?

Because we need those moments of quiet practice to be still and reflect on what Good Friday – and ultimately Easter – means for us as individuals and as a community.

Read more here.

The above text is an excerpt from “Unplug for Lent’s Sake: A Time to Quiet the Noise,” found in the March/April edition of Devozine magazine.

Dana, with the latest issue of Devozine. Check out her article on quieting the noise during Lent, Holy Week, and beyond here.

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In the comments section below, share what Lenten moments of quiet, realization, contemplative practice, or sabbath you leaned into this season. What did you learn about yourself, God, and others?