Intensifying Lent in the Last Week of Lent

It is easy to lose sight of where we are in the liturgical calendar.  We've had a time change, we've had changes in weather, some of us are watching trees and flowers blooming earlier than we're used to.  It's easy to forget that we're about to enter the last week of Lent.

A week from tomorrow we will celebrate Palm Sunday, and Holy Week will begin.  That means that this week is the last week of Lent.

During Advent, I often wish that Advent lasted six weeks, like Lent.  During Lent, I often lose focus and wish that Lent could be more like Advent, no more than four weeks.

This morning, I thought about this last week of Lent.  Unlike many believers, I did not adopt a Lenten discipline.  When we get to the last days of Lent, I often wish I had done more.  This morning, it occurred to me that we could have a last week of intensity.  Whatever we wish we had spent the last five weeks doing, we could do every day.  If we're already doing a Lenten discipline every day, we could still schedule a week of intensity.  What would it happen to do our Lenten discipline twice a day?

It's easy enough if we've resolved to pray daily or to practice a creative discipline.    I say "easy," even as I realize that it's plenty difficult to schedule one daily session, much less two.

If we have been working our way through a daily devotional, we might need to be more creative.  If it's a book written by a single author, we could add more readings.  Or we could go back to the beginning of the book and read the first week of devotions for Lent along with the last week.  It might lead to interesting connections!

I write this post realizing that I'm unlikely to adopt a new Lenten discipline at this point.  But I am going to Quilt Camp, scheduled back in November, not scheduled as a Lenten discipline.  Perhaps I will add some Lenten focus to each day, as I go up the hill to the Faith Center to work on quilts.  Perhaps I will also add some non-fabric quilting focus to some days.  Hmm.  Let me see what happens!