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SESSION 1: ASH WEDNESDAY February 25

Before the Session

Read "An Introduction to the Study."
Practice reading aloud, from The Upper Room, the meditation for Ash Wednesday. Read slowly and carefully so that the participants have time to reflect on the words. Become familiar with the process of Lectio Divina.

Opening Prayers and an Introduction to the Study (5 minutes)

An Introduction to the Theme for the Session (5 minutes)

Invite the group to say responsively Psalm 16:8-9, 11 (adapted):

LEADER: I keep the Lord always before me;
PEOPLE: because the Lord is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
LEADER: Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also feels secure.
PEOPLE: You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy.
LEADER: Let us turn to God.
PEOPLE: Let us walk with the Lord.

Introduce the theme of the session, saying:

Ash Wednesday is a turning point. On this day, the first day of Lent, we stop, take a good look at ourselves, and turn toward God. On Ash Wednesday, we begin again to follow Jesus Christ.

Reflection on The Upper Room
Invite the participants to read and discuss the meditation for February 25, using these questions from The Upper Room:

What habits have you let go of over the years? Why? What habits are you currently examining/praying about?
How do you see God at work helping people to change direction? Do you think it is possible for us to get people to change? Why or why not?
It is sometimes said that people change for only three reasons: they're scared enough, hurting enough, or excited enough. For which of these reasons have you changed? In your experience, which is the most common reason that people change?
Where do you think you're headed in life now? What do you think the possibility could be if you were open completely to God and to what you believe God is asking of you? What keeps you from seeking a change of direction?
Bev Kinego sees Lent as a time to stop and re-evaluate her direction in life. Do you have a time of year or person or place that serves this function for you? If so, describe. Has there been a one-time event or experience that caused you to take stock of where you were heading and consider a significant change? If so, relate that event.

Lectio Divina (20 minutes)
Use the following instructions to guide the group through the process of lectio divina. (Lectio divina is a Latin phrase that means "holy reading" or "sacred reading." It is a way of listening in order to link what we hear with God's message to us personally.) You will be reading "Where Am I Headed?" The Upper Room meditation for Ash Wednesday, February 25. Divide into groups of three before you begin the reading. If the conversation groups have more than three persons, it will not be possible to complete this process in 20 minutes. You must subdivide the group or plan for this section to take more time.

Explain that you will read the meditation slowly. Ask the group members to listen for a word or phrase that stops them or catches their attention. Read the meditation aloud. Then say, "In the silence, repeat the word or phrase and reflect on it." Allow one to two minutes of silence. (Time the silences so as not to rush.)
Invite each person in turn to say aloud--without comment, summary, or analysis-the word or phrase that caught his or her attention. (He or she may choose to pass.)
Ask the participants to listen as you read the meditation again. Encourage them to listen for a word or phrase that connects the meditation to them and their lives. (The word or phrase may or may not be the same as the first one they responded to in the first reading.) Say, "In the silence, consider how your word or phrase relates to a situation, a feeling, or a possibility in your life right now." Allow three minutes for silent reflection.
Invite the participants, in turn, to tell about the connection they sense between the word or phrase they were drawn to and a situation, feeling, or possibility in their lives. (Remind the participants that at any time in the group they may choose to pass.)
Read the meditation again. Encourage the group members to listen for an invitation that God is extending to them for the next few days. Say, "In the silence, consider the invitation you hear from God." Allow several minutes of silence.
Invite the participants to speak about the invitation they sense God offering for their lives during the next few days.

Suggested Activities for Multigenerational Groups

Provide construction paper and crayons. As part of the lectio divina process, encourage participants to be aware of the presence of God in their lives and invite them to draw whatever comes to mind as you read the meditation.
Ask the participants to form small groups of four people. Invite each group to set up chairs in two rows, one behind the other, to create a "car." Give everyone else "road signs," index cards with the following information written on them: "Bumpy Road." "Slippery When Wet." "Road Construction." "Road Closed." "Detour." "Exit Here." "Turn Right at Stop Sign." "Lane Changes." "Turn Here." Feel free to think of others. Encourage the group members to get in their cars. Appoint the youngest person in the group to be the "driver." The others will navigate by reading the "road signs." After a few minutes, say, "Stop!" Invite discussion: How was your trip? How is Christian living like traveling? How do you know what direction to take? When can you stay on the same road? When should you change direction and go another way?

Closing Prayers (10 minutes)
Say, "Ashes symbolize repentance, turning away from sin and turning toward God. They remind us of our mortality: "You are dust and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19b). The ashes used during Ash Wednesday worship services are the charred remains of palm branches used on Palm Sunday of the preceding year. The ashes are used to make the sign of the cross on the forehead of believers."

Invite the participants to come forward. Using the ashes, make the sign of the cross on each person's forehead, saying, "Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." He or she is to respond, saying, "Amen."

Pray, saying, "God, turn us around so that we follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen."

This Week at Home
(facilitators: make copies of the following brief suggestion and distribute to people as they leave)

Prepare for the next lesson by reading each day the scripture, meditation, and prayers from The Upper Room.

Before you go to bed each night, reflect on your day. What direction is your life taking? When have you been able to change direction and follow Jesus? Say a prayer: God, forgive my sins and turn me around so that I follow where you lead. Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

This Lent 2008 Study Guide is a free resource offered by The Upper Room® daily devotional guide. Printed from http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/lent/. Copyright © 2009 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Reproduce for personal and small-group use only. Upper Room® and design logos are trademarks owned by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.

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