Lent 2002

The following is a list of activities for Lent 2002 that Kingdom Now suggests for its participants. Please join us in doing these things (or other related ones) as you are led by the Spirit. Pray fervently. - Pray for your own repentance. Try as we might, we are not immune from the sins of our culture. - Pray that God's word will "not return void" [Isaiah 55:11]. - Pray for boldness in confronting nationalism in our churches. - Pray for others that are involved in this endeavor. Fast. Fasting is an undertaking that the Church has historically understood as going hand-in-hand with intense prayer. Fasting reminds us that it is God who sustains and empowers us. If you have never fasted before, I recommend taking a look at the chapter on fasting in Richard Foster's book CELEBRATION OF DICIPLINE. This chapter will explain the significance of fasting and will give you practical suggestions on how to start doing it. Discuss your concerns about the Church's nationalism with your church's leaders. This discussion could take many forms, but the bottom line is to let your concerns be known. Part of this discussion might (or might not) be having them read the 95 theses. Organize a Day of Prayer, Mourning and Repentance. If your leaders are sympathetic to your concerns, work with them to organize a gathering for prayer and repentance. Also seek out leaders of other churches in your community who might be willing to help organize an inter-church gathering. Send a letter stating your concerns to the Central or Regional Office of your denomination or non-denominational fellowship. You might include a copy of the Theses with your letter. Send a letter stating your concerns to the chaplain of Christian colleges or seminaries where you are a student, faculty member or alumnus. Again, you might incude a copy of the Theses. Send copies of the Theses to your friends or family. Write letters to the editor of local or national Christian publications, expressing your concerns. Some national publications include: CHRISTIANITY TODAY, WORLD, COMMONWEAL, THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY, and SOJOURNERS. Discuss your concerns about the Church's nationalism with other church leaders in your community. Share your stories with the Kingdom Now community. We have added a section on our discussion board for KN participants to share their successes (for the sake of encouragement) or non-successes.