In this series we look at “Spiritual Disciplines: Prayer, Contemplation, and Confession in a Distracted World.”

It is often said, and only half-jokingly, that “Lent is made for man, not man for Lent,” and perhaps there is significant truth to this.  Nonetheless we work to grow in our need and anticipation of the risen Christ during this penitential season.  Through our most earnest efforts, we seek to be disciplined, shaped, and in the words of the Psalmist, have made in us a new and contrite hearts.  Sometimes we become obsessed with the doing aspect of process at the expense of actually being shaped by the disciplines of Prayer, Contemplation, and Confession particularly emphasized during Lent.  This series seeks to explore each of these disciplines in light of, yes, it being Lent, but even more, in light of our lives in this city, in a time of distraction.  Join us as we continue to explore and keep a Holy Lent.

Prayer
March 29, 2011

Rev’d Samuel Lee Wood

The first speaker is Fr. Sammy Wood, Associate Rector at the Church of the Advent, and will be speaking on the role of prayer in our daily lives, particularly as we continue through Lent and engage with the world around us.

Confession
April 5, 2011

Rev’d Dr. John Archer

Rev. Dr. John Archer, Honorary Assistant Clergy at the Church of the Advent, will be speaking about that most uncomfortable of topics, confession. Why consider something that “All may, none must, and some should” do as a serious pillar of our Christian discipline, one perhaps central to our developing faith?  This question and others will be discussed as Fr. Archer explores confession.

Contemplat​ing the Cross of Christ
April 18, 2011

Mark Davidson

Our speaker is Mr. Mark Davidson, Clerk of the Church of the Advent, who will present the Church’s historical development of the doctrine of the atonement.

In particular he will address the Church’s response to these fundamental questions as we prepare for the Triduum:  Why did Jesus Christ die? In what way does Christ’s death save humanity? Was it necessary that Christ should die?  If so why? What is the difference between “satisfaction” and “substitution” for sin? How does the cross conquer evil?   Does God overcome evil by tricking the devil through the cross, as Irenaeus and Origin of Alexandria taught?   Is Christ’s death as an example of suffering love sufficient to change us?  Is it even appropriate to try to find definitive answers to such questions, and with what degree of exactness?  Or is the cross of Christ purely a mystery?

Come and hear how theologians such as Augustine, Pelagius, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Bernard of Clairvaux and Luther answer these and other theological questions.

Mr. Davidson will conclude with some contemplative thoughts about the death of Christ with keynotes from Peter Abelard who spoke of our redemption through Christ’s suffering as “that deeper affection in us which frees us from slavery to sin so we do all things out of love rather than fear.”