As a congregation, we have given up orders of worship for Lent!

The worship leaders and choir have a bare-minimum version, but everyone else is given paperless. We are inviting the congregation to be more present in worship -- and not be distracted by looking down at a piece of paper, or worrying about what is coming next.

I love it.

Thanks to my friend Daniel Wolpert, who recommended this idea. You can read Daniel's excellent second book filled with many other such ways of being in the world: Leading a Life With God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership. His first book is a great, too: Creating a Life With God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices.

Below are a few other creative Lenten practices (this time not from Daniel). These are based on the premise that, for Lent, one is invited to (1) give up something that is keeping you from being who God created you to be, and (2) take on something that helps you become more fully who God is calling you to be:

Give up interrupting (practice taking a full breath after someone finishes speaking before replying for the next 40 days)Take on memorizing a favorite poem each week.

Give up unnecessary stuff (donate one item to Goodwill each day for 40 days).

Take on a daily, random act of kindness (Let a car move in front of you when you're driving, pay for the lunch of the person behind you in the fast food line.)

Give up TV, radio, and internet at home for 40 days.

Take on a twenty minute, leisurely walk each day and notice what you see.

Give up speeding (go the speed limit or under) for the next 40 days!

Take on biking one place a week when you would normally drive (see www.geezmagazine.org/demotorize)