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Archives for January 2016

Lenten Calendar Templates 2016

January 25, 2016 by Sybil Macbeth 17 Comments Leave a Comment

Using a calendar template is one of my favorite ways to keep a daily discipline during Lent. It doesn’t involve making false promises to myself about sitting down for thirty minutes a day and praying/studying/meditating and then feeling guilty when I fail. On the calendar template I choose a word or name for each day, write the word in a space, and draw or doodle around it. As I draw I let the name or word fill my heart and mind. If words come to me I pray them. If not, I am quiet. I think of each mark or stroke of color as a wordless prayer. This process can take three minutes or thirty. Each day is different. I love the accumulation of words or peoples’ names in a visual tapestry.

Below are four templates to choose from in jpg or pdf form. There are 46 spaces which include the weekends. Some calendars are dated; others allow you to choose your own placement. Since the spaces are small I take the template to a copier and enlarge it (129%-132%) to an 11″x17″ piece of card stock.

Here are some ways to use the calendar:
1) Use a daily book of Lenten meditations. Read the mediation for the day and select a word that jumps out at you.
2) Follow a daily lectionary and choose a word from one of the Scripture readings.
3) Pray for a person each day.
4) Use nouns or adjectives that describe the nature and character of Jesus: savior, redeemer, healer, radical, obedient, forgiving,….
5) Read the same Psalm each day and choose a daily word. Psalm 51 is a penitential Psalm with lots of juicy (sometimes depressing) words in it.
6) Use the Confession from the liturgy and choose a word from it. Here is the Confession from The Book of Common Prayer:
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
7) Just draw. If words come to you in your silence, write them in the space.

Click on .jpg or.pdf below the template you want.* Download the template first, then print. (If you print without downloading, you will get a version with the website info written on the top and bottom of the page.)

Lenten Templates Collage 1 Resized

.jpg    or    .pdf                                                                         .jpg      or     .pdf

Lenten Calendar Templates2 Resized

.jpg     or      .pdf                                                                          .jpg    or     .pdf

*Thanks to Cindy O. (Mostly Markers) for her box calendar template and to Hilary Ann Golden for the spiral template.

Here are some examples of last year’s completed templates:

Lent 2015 Collage Resized

Thanks to Gwyn Varozza, Linda S. and J., Martin Boardman, and Linda S. and J. for sharing their 2015 calendars.

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Filed Under: Praying in Color Tagged With: doodling, Doodling and Prayer, Lent, Lenten Calendar Templates, Lenten Calendars, Lenten discipline, Praying in Color, Psalm 51

Epiphany–The Third Piece of the Nativity Triptych

January 5, 2016 by Sybil Macbeth Leave a Comment

Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are the three pieces of the Nativity Triptych. Epiphany, whether it is considered a day or a season, is the often slighted third part of the triptych. But without Epiphany the Christmas story would have stayed in the manger in a tiny town in a small country in the Middle East.

The three main Scripture readings for Epiphany let us know that God is up to something special in Jesus:

  • The visit of the magi and their impressive gifts indicate the specialness of this child. When the magi return to their distant lands they scatter the first seeds of the amazing birth story. (Matthew 2)
  • At the wedding at Cana in Galilee, Jesus turns water into wine–fine wine, no less. This manifestation or “shining forth” of Jesus’ identity tells the first of his many miracles. (John 2)
  • At Jesus’ Baptism by Jesus, God announces, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

Tryptich Resized

Here are a couple of things I do to remember that Epiphany celebrates the exponential movement of the Gospel story throughout the world:

  • Remove the Christmas ornaments from my tree and cover it with stars 
  • Turn the magi away from the crèche and move them further and further each day 
  • Read the Epiphany stories.
  • Think about how my story intersects with the Gospel Story.Epiphany Bush

 

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Filed Under: Praying in Color Tagged With: Epiphany, John 2, Magi, Matthew 2, Matthew 3:13-17

Advent/Christmas Calendars

January 4, 2016 by Sybil Macbeth Leave a Comment

Below are some wonderful finished Advent calendars from people who sent them to me. If you have stashed your calendar somewhere with the idea that Advent and Christmas are over, pull it out again. As an Advent/Christmas/Epiphany Extremist I encourage you to keep your finished calendars (and all of your other Christmas things) within eyeshot until at least January 6–the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Church celebrates the arrival of the magi/kings at the manger. The calendars are a reminder of our entrance into a whole New Church Year and of the hope we carry with us with the birth of Jesus.

Linda S and J Collage 2015 Resized

The candle template for these calendars was created by Linda S. (I love the idea and hope she will send me a version to share for Advent 2016.) The two calendars were drawn by Linda and her adult daughter J. They sat at the same table and encouraged each other in the daily process.The beautiful one on the left was completed by Linda incorporating both words and designs. The amazing wordless version on the right was drawn by J. Linda and I shared some conversation about how some days our drawings are a disaster or are just plain bizarre. (Notice the “winking frog” day.) Linda says, “I think that is an important lesson of the journey: each day may present challenges or unexpected outcomes, but when viewed within the context of the entire journey offer texture, humor, new directions, etc. The trick is letting go of the “perfect” expectation and becoming more comfortable with unforeseen results.” 

Last year during Advent 2014 Linda and J worked together on two calendars swapping them each day. I loved the idea; it seemed like a real letting go of the ownership of the calendar.

Here are two calendars by friends Connie and Cindy.

Connie-Cindy collage 2015 Resized

The calendar on the left is from Connie Denninger and celebrates the Gifts of Advent. Her blog is called Vintage Grace. Connie leads workshops and retreats on all sorts of visual prayer. The template she used was created by Pat Maier.

The calendar on the right is from Cindy O. Cindy was the person who gave me permission to doodle back in the 20th century. Her calendar includes words and drawings from the traditional Advent vocabulary. Advent introduces us to, not just words of a single season, but to the vocabulary of the Christian faith throughout the year. Cindy’s blog is Mostly Markers. She details the kinds of paper and markers/pens she uses–a great site for doodlers, artists, and crafters. Look at her December 28 post. It is a patchwork of all the different kinds of candles she has drawn on her Advent calendars for the past seven years.

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Filed Under: Praying in Color Tagged With: Advent, Advent calendars

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