Creative Lent: Bloom Where You Are Planted

So, here we are, two days after Ash Wednesday.  Have you chosen your Lenten discipline yet?  It's not too late.  Today I offer you the first in a series of blog posts:  photo essays that I hope will provide inspirations, should you want to experiment with creativity and different art forms this Lenten season.

First, today, let's think about the idea of plants.  One of the metaphors we see time and time again is that of a seed.  Christians are like seeds, the Kingdom of God is like a seed, the Church can be a seed.  When's the last time you grew something in the earth?

You don't even need a patch of earth to call your own.  A container and some soil will do.  As you pour the potting soil into your container, let it run over your fingers.  Scrunch some together.  Remember the story of Adam and the breath of God.

You could create a terrarium, your own little ecosystem (see examples below).  You could watch over it, and think about how, like God, you've created a world:

Eventually, maybe you'll want to put some plants into the earth.

If you have a patch of land, perhaps creating a butterfly garden would bring you joy.

You could add some statues and create a different kind of sanctuary:

But maybe gardening isn't your thing.  You can still buy a bunch of flowers (or 2 or 3!) and have fun arranging them.  Marvel at the diversity of the beauty created by God and in your arrangement:

And if you can't afford fresh flowers, you can make some out of paper:

Tomorrow:  More fun things you can do with paper!