NorthPark Presbyterian Church

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Our theme for Lent this year is “Paying Attention.”  We are asking everyone: parents, children, teenagers, single people, older adults (you get the picture) in the church to commit themselves to “pay attention” to a life of faith each day of Lent. 

If you live alone at home or cannot get others in your home to participate in this challenge, we ask you to journal your responses.  If you live in a family or group setting we especially invite you to take part in this together.  It will take about five to ten minutes each night.  Here is how it works:

1. Share (or journal) your highs and lows of the day.  (Paying attention to self/other)
2. Read a small section of scripture from Sunday’s service.  (Paying attention to Scripture)
3. Talk (or journal) about how the highs and lows of the day relate to the scripture. (Paying attention to God at work in your life)
4. Talk (or journal) about how the scripture might relate to the poor or outcast of the world.  (Paying attention to God at work in the world)
5. Pray for one another’s highs and lows and for the poor and outcast of the world. (Paying attention to God’s future)
6. Before ending, respond to each other (or journal) with one new thing for which you are thankful to God.  (Paying attention to God’s blessings) 

If you are doing this as a family, whoever is going to bed first in your home may call out “PAYING ATTENTION!”  Everyone must drop what they’re doing, turn off the television, put down their office work or homework, set the cell phone on silence and gather in a room of the convener’s choice. Then take turns going through the six steps.

SO SHUT DOWN THE TV, PUT DOWN THE WORK, TURN THE CELL PHONE ON SILENCE, AND TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO PAY ATTENTION TO GOD AND GOD”S PEOPLE WITH 6 SIMPLE STEPS!

SHARE.  READ.  TALK.  PRAY.  RESPOND.  PAY ATTENTION! 

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If you would like to download this for printing, click here to download/view/print a .pdf version of the NPPC Lenten Challenge (nppc_lenten_challenge.pdf, 56kb)

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