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Two Kansas priests write meditations for Lent

By Melodie Woerman
Editor, The Harvest

Not all books of Lenten meditations this year have been written by priests of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, but it might seem that way.

Two major church publishing companies tapped Kansas clergy to write their 2007 books for Lent. The Rev. Kate Moorehead, rector of St. James’, Wichita, wrote Organic God for Cowley Press, and the Rev. Jonathon Jensen, rector of Trinity, Lawrence, authored Forty Days of Lent for Forward Movement.

Both are compact books designed to fit into a pocket or purse or keep handy on a breakfast table or bedside. Beyond their size, the two share the use of images from nature to point people toward God. The authors share one other trait — both are 36 years old.

Organic God
By the Rev. Kate Moorehead
162 pages, Cowley Publications, $12.95
Available online from Cowley, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble and from local booksellers

This is Moorehead’s second book for Cowley, their requested follow-up to her book of Advent meditations Between Two Worlds written in 2003.

The book began in a Bible study at St. James’, when a fig tree in a story in Luke’s gospel — and people’s lack of understanding of it — made her realize how disconnected humanity is from the earth. Her own love of gardening drew her to organic images to describe the spiritual life.

“The spiritual life is like a plant,” she said. “It goes through periods of growth. It’s not within our control; it’s organic.” This image of a plant also helps people be kinder with themselves in their own prayer life. “Don’t drown it,” she advised.

Moorehead finished the book in January 2006 after writing over a period of two years, fitting it in on days off. Her schedule as rector of a growing parish and mother of three boys doesn’t leave much discretionary time. She’d go to a local bookstore, get a cup of coffee, browse through some books and then sit and write. She ended up with a short meditation for each day of Lent, the length defined both by what she could write in a day and what people can fit into busy schedules. “It’s a little piece of spiritual nourishment every day,” she said. “If it’s too long it becomes an obligation. They can add to their devotional day in about five minutes.”

After she submitted the manuscript, editors spent four months polishing what she called a few “lazy sentences.”

Moorehead said she loves reaching people through her writing. “It’s like long-term preaching to a huge audience,” she said. “I get fired up by people thinking new thoughts about God, feeling comfortable or inspired about something I gave them.”

She already has started work on a third book, this one focusing on the character and personality of Jesus. She expects to finish it in about a year.

Forty Days of Lent
By the Rev. Jonathon Jensen
64 pages, Forward Movement Publications, $3
Available online from Forward Movement

Jensen has a long history with Forward Movement, serving as a member of their board of directors for a number of years. He also was a student of the company’s past editor, the Rev. Edward Gleason, when he was at Virginia Seminary. Gleason personally asked Jensen to write his first book as their 2007 Lenten offering.

The format follows that of the popular “Forward Day-by-Day” booklet and includes a Bible reading and a meditation. Jensen drew on his experience as a parish priest for most of his writings, including anecdotes from parish life, the diocese or things about Kansas that relate to the Scripture for the day.

He wrote all 48 meditations during the summer of 2005, polishing off several pieces in a sitting.

His editors chose a photo of a prairie fire for the book’s cover, an image he found especially useful during Lent. “It’s about burning away sins,” he said. “The fire image carries throughout the book.” Another theme deals with how people encounter God in their lives. “We know God through the manifestation of Christ. We know God through the local — our parish, our state.”

Jensen said the process of writing was an excellent spiritual discipline and is one he plans to repeat during his summer sabbatical as he works on a book about the diaconate. But the format of brief daily meditations is one he’d like to visit again, he said. “I like helping the typical Episcopalians deepen their own spiritual life. Ten minutes a day gives the rest of the day to Christ.”