Introducing “Wilderness Journeys: LGBTQ Lenten Reflections”

Bondings 2.0 readers are the BEST!!!!  Really!  Last year, this blog ran two spirituality series of posts in which we asked Bondings 2.0 readers to offer their personal reflections. At the beginning of 2019, readers sent stories about their relationship with the Catholic Church in the series, “Why We Came, Why We Stayed, Why We Left.”  We received so many powerful contributions that the series went on for weeks.  At the end of the year, we inaugurated “The Isaiah Project,” in which we asked readers to write about Advent themes by reflecting on scripture passages from the Prophet Isaiah.

As Lent approaches, the editors here at Bondings 2.0, once again are going to return to our readers to offer reflections on scripture from the perspective of LGBTQ people and allies. Today, we introduce the “Wilderness Journeys: LGBTQ Lenten Reflections,” in which we ask you, our readers, to read and pray over selected Lenten scripture passages and write up short reflections based on your experiences. Reflections should be kept to under 250 words.  Brevity often makes for more powerful writing.  Be as honest as is comfortable for you.  You may consider writing your reflection in the form of a prayer.

To aid your writing, we have selected a weekly theme from New Ways Ministry’s scripture reflection series for LGBTQ people and allies, entitled “Journeys.”  You can find the selected themes in the chart below.  Clicking on the title will bring you to a page with the scripture passage, a series of reflection questions,  a prayer, and a meditative video. You will not have space to write answers for all the questions, so we recommend selecting one, or maybe two, to focus your thoughts.

Please use the form at the end of this post to submit your reflections. As the form indicates, you may choose to remain anonymous, and if we decide to post your reflection, neither your name or your location will be used. For all submissions, please do provide an email address in case we have any questions for you.

The following provides the schedule with links to each of the Journey exercises:

 

Liturgical Calendar Day	Day of the Year	Journeys Reflection Exercise	DEADLINE for Submission
Ash Wednesday	February 26	Come Back to Me	Monday, February 24
First Sunday of Lent	March 1	Lead Us Not Into Temptation	Thursday, February 27
Second Sunday of Lent	March 8	Trans-fig-u-ration	Thursday, March 5
Third Sunday of Lent	March 15	The Woman at the Well	Thursday, March 12
Fourth Sunday of Lent	March 22	The Blind Beggar	Thursday, March 19
Fifth Sunday of Lent	March 29	Lazarus: The Man Jesus Loved	Thursday, March 26
Palm (Passion) Sunday	April 5	“Surely This One Was Innocent”	Thursday, April 2

Starred boxes on the form are required.

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We thank you in advance for sharing your Lenten journey with other Bondings 2.0 readers–people all over the globe who are working and praying to make the Catholic Church a more just and equal place for LGBTQ people and their families and friends!  We are very much looking forward to reading your submissions!

—Francis DeBernardo and Robert Shine, New Ways Ministry, February 17, 2020