Episcopal Relief & Development’s 2025 LENTEN Meditation Journey . . . A COMMONPLACE Lent

If you want to keep peace in the community, judge yourself and no one else. —John Trithemius
Whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk in the same way as he walked. —1 John 2:6

One of the beautiful things about the church year and living out the liturgical seasons is that we travel the depth and breadth of the human experience together. Each season is filled with common experiences: joy (Christmas!), daily life (Ordinary Time!) and longing (Advent!). During Lent, we are invited to participate in a season of vulnerability. This is our collective opportunity to share our pain, struggles (including our temptation to judge), mistakes and fears with each other as siblings in Christ so that we know and be known, love and be loved, forgive and be forgiven.

Isn’t it interesting that a season built on repentance and self-reflection also provides us opportunities to distract ourselves by judging our neighbor’s piety? Without always realizing it, many of us judge the reverence (or perceived lack of reverence) of someone in our community: a sibling in Christ, a fellow church member or an acquaintance on Facebook. We look at an Ash Wednesday selfie and convey our disapproval at the public display of this holy marking by making sure we do not click the “like” button. We  overhear someone during coffee hour mention their pre-Maundy Thursday pedicure appointment, and we do our best to keep our face politely benign while internally congratulating ourselves for bringing our humble, un-pedicured toes to the foot-washing
liturgy. But judging how others travel this holy season does not help us walk as Jesus did. It is simply spiritual busywork that damages our relationship with the Body of Christ, building partitions between us and them, instead of opening ourselves up to what God might be revealing through them.

For REFLECTION:

Is there an area of judgment you are struggling with this Lent? How could you replace these thoughts with an act of vulnerability?

Click here to read the introduction to the 2025 Lenten Meditation “A Commonplace Lent.”

The Lenten Meditations prepared by Episcopal Relief & Development invite readers to deepen their spiritual practice during the season of Lent, the time of preparation leading to Easter. Our 2025 meditations explore the idea of “A Commonplace Lent.” This concept reflects Episcopal Relief & Development’s tagline: “Working Together for Lasting Change.” We share in common the work of advancing lasting change in communities impacted by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change.

We also share in common spiritual practices that strengthen our faith—prayer, worship, love, grace, service and so much more. The author explores another meaning of common in the  meditations: finding God in the common and ordinary as well as in the extraordinary mountain-top moments. Each day begins with wisdom from desert mothers and fathers, monastics and other spiritual leaders who offer insight into our common path of faithful discipleship and service. Each meditation concludes with a question for deeper reflection.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the compassionate response of The Episcopal Church to human suffering in the world. Hearing God’s call to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being, Episcopal Relief & Development serves to bring together the generosity of Episcopalians and others with the needs of the world.

This Lenten Meditation Journey is provided courtesy of Episcopal Relief & Development and was authored by Jerusalem Jackson Greer, co-executive director and agrarian minister for the Procter Center, an Episcopal farm, camp and retreat center in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. As former manager of evangelism and discipleship for The Episcopal Church under Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, she co-founded the Good News Garden movement and oversaw Way of Love and Evangelism initiatives for the wider church.