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

Annunciation of the Lord Persist in your holy purpose, even if you fail a thousand times a day. —Louis De Blois, Spiritual Mirror

I was ten years old when Mary Lou Retton won gold at the Summer Olympics and  changed the sport of gymnastics forever. Until that moment, I had never been interested in anything remotely athletic, but, like millions of other little girls, I caught gymnastics fever. For two years, I took gymnastic lessons, spending countless hours in our front yard practicing handstands, backbends, cartwheels and round-offs. Up, over, down. Up, over, down. I practiced and practiced until it became obvious that I would never make it past a front walkover. Flipping and swinging over vaults and bars took physical strength and courage I would never possess.

Those years weren’t a waste despite my failed attempt at Olympic gold. I learned something in that time that has never left me. I learned what it felt like to have purpose and drive. I learned what the fruits of practice, intentionality and deep commitment tasted like. I learned how good it felt to grow in skill and ability. These lessons have served me well as a mother, farmer, writer, camp director and preacher, to name a few of my holy purposes.

Lent is a season when we are given the opportunity to practice the spiritual discipline of listening to God’s call on our lives, to fast from the things that distract us, and instead to hone in on who and what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do and become in the common everydayness of our lives. It is a season of responding as we remember Mary’s words to the angel Gabriel on this feast day of the Annunciation: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” We follow this response with intentionality, practicing over and over the cartwheels and  handstands of that call, falling down, getting up and trying again.

For REFLECTION:

What might you need to fast from to hear God’s holy purpose in your life?

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.