Darkness: A Contemplative Meditation Guide for Lent

Here in week seven, our final week of Lent, we will go to The Tomb. But before you engage in this final meditation, take a moment to reflect on what you learned last week.

 

Our final verse comes from John 12:

 

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12: 23-26, NIV)

 

This final week of Lent leading up to Good Friday and Easter is known as Passion Week. After engaging in the last Darkness meditation, take some time to reflect on how the last seven weeks have felt. If you have fasted, what did you learn about yourself? How did it feel to go without whatever you went without for seven weeks?

 

We would like to encourage you to participate in a Good Friday service this week if you are able. Many churches observe Good Friday, so if your home church doesn’t, chances are good you can find a church close by that does.

 

Lastly, we pray that what you walked through for the last seven weeks enhances your experience on Easter Sunday. We hope that the things you experienced through Lent will continue to challenge you and grow your faith in Jesus Christ. 

 

Thank you so much for trusting us with this time. If you have any feedback or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Rest in knowing that you are loved and you are not alone!

Welcome to week six of Lent and the meditative practice of Darkness. Take a moment before engaging in this week’s practice and reflect on what you have experienced over the last week.

 

This week we focus on The Cross. Reflect on these verses from Matthew 27:

 

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. (Matthew 27:45-46, 51-53, NIV)

 

In this meditation, we will cover a lot of difficult/challenging topics. If you have time, please listen to it more than once. Keep an open mind and heart, and don’t shy away from whatever might elicit a strong response. 

 

We’re nearly at the end of this journey that we’re taking together. Much of what we have experienced together has been difficult. Fasting is difficult. Stretching is difficult. None of this was meant to be easy. We pray that, when you have struggled along this path, you have not felt alone. Know that you have been prayed for every day throughout this experience. You are not alone—not in your struggle, not in your doubt, not in your questioning. We are with you and Christ is with you. 

 

You are loved.

We have made it to week five! Thank you so much for continuing to engage in this practice with us. We hope it has been worthwhile, challenging, and enlightening. Before diving into this week’s meditation, take a moment to consider how far you’ve come so far. 

This week, we’re going to explore Jesus’ interaction with Simon of Cyrene on The Street. This scene is recounted in Matthew 27:

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Matthew 27:32, NIV)

Take some time this week to read Matthew 27:1-37, which includes some of the accounts that we’ve covered in previous weeks of our meditation practice. What characters do you identify with the most? Judas? Pilate? The crowds? Barabbas? Simon? 

As we near the end of Lent, think back to the beginning of this journey. What were your expectations at the outset? Has it been easy or difficult to engage with these meditations? If you have fasted, how are you feeling? Take a moment this week and write down your thoughts.

Paul and I are praying that you would experience peace this week as you practice confession and compassion in your community. You are loved!

We have made it to the half-way point of “Darkness.” What have you learned about God? About yourself? Before engaging with this week’s practice, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve experienced so far.

 

Our meditation this week centers around The Horror and reflecting on the violent nature of Christ’s death. Please meditate on the following verses throughout your week:

 

So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (John 19:31-34)

 

Take some time to consider the questions asked in the meditation. Sit down with a journal and write down your thoughts:

 

What is your response to the blood of Jesus?

 

Why was it so violent and horrific?

 

Do you wish it was easier and more comfortable to receive this gift of his sacrifice?

 

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, no judgment in your responses. Just answer as honestly as you can.

Thank you for joining us on this journey! We are praying for you…

This is week three of “Darkness.” How are you feeling so far? Has the journey been worth it up to this point? Before you sit down with this week’s guided meditation practice, take a moment to reflect on what you experienced last week at The Table.

 

Here in week three we follow Jesus into The Court. Our verse this week comes from John’s account of the moments leading up to Christ’s crucifixion:

 

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising. (John 18:37-40, NIV)

There are a lot of questions to wrestle with in these verses—don’t back down from engaging with them. Once you have completed the meditation, write down what you felt and experienced as you listened. Come back to this question throughout the week:

What is truth?

If you are fasting or practicing some form of self-denial, take some time to reflect on how you are feeling in the third week of this practice. 

As always, thank you for joining us on this journey into Darkness. Know that you are loved and supported and that we so appreciate you taking this time to walk with us through Lent.

Welcome to week two of “Darkness.” Before you sit down with the audio devotional this week, take a moment to reflect on anything you learned or experienced last week in The Desert. 

This week, we come to The Table, reflecting on the last meal that Jesus ate with his disciples. Our verse for this week is taken from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26; NIV)

Depending on your experience in the church, you have more than likely heard this verse before. It would be easy to let this on just pass by without further reflection or examination, but don’t let familiarity breed complacency. 

As you walk through this week, take time each day to read this passage slowly. Underline or write down certain words or phrases that stick out to you. Ask yourself why those parts caught your attention. Just don’t let these words pass under your eyes without entering your mind and heart.

This may also be a good week to gather with friends and family for a meal. Enjoy one another’s presence! Often, when entering into a practice like this, it’s easy to feel isolated. Allow yourself the space to share this journey with others in your community. Chances are you’re not alone in your questions and struggles. 

Thank you for going on this journey with us. We are praying for you and love you dearly!

Dear Friends,

This week is the first week of Lent, and our first week of “Darkness.” Thank you for choosing to go on this journey of decent with us. 

Today, we want to invite you to listen to the Introduction and “Week One - The Desert.” We will start where Jesus started—in the desert where he was tempted by the devil. Throughout your day and your week, reflect on the following verse:

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1, 2; NIV)

If you would like to explore the expanded passage, feel free to read through verse 11 of Matthew 4. Don’t shy away from questions that may arise as you read these verses. Take your time and read through this passage throughout the week, welcoming questions or confusion as old friends. Try to remember a time when you weren’t quite so certain about your faith. 

If you have chosen to fast from something, lean in to that hunger or unmet desire. Offer it to God, and invite him in to the difficulty of letting that “thing” go, whatever it may be. 

We are praying for you. We are for you. We are in this with you. Be encouraged!

See you next week.

How do we respond to the discord, suffering, and pain surrounding us in our world? Do we create more systems and walls to keep it further away? Do we design more clever narratives that continue to uphold the current hero and scapegoat models that comfort us? 

Engaging these questions and more is the purpose of the de-centering practice of Lent which marks the 40 days that led to crucifixion and death of Jesus before his resurrection.

Darkness is a thought-provoking Christian meditation guide centered around seven key moments in the final days of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion.

Each meditation is designed to be listened to weekly in the six weeks leading to Easter.

We hope this audio guide helps enrich your experience of resurrection and Easter.