I am asking my blog’s readers to consider a challenge for Lent. No, it is not giving up anything. Instead, it helps move Lent into 40 days of living out the gospel: I am asking you to begin and end each day of Lent (beginning Wednesday) by reciting the Jesus Creed. And, whenever it comes to mind throughout the day, I am asking you to recite it again. In your evening recitation of the Jesus Creed, we are asking you to give some moments of recollection to confess any sins against the Jesus Creed throughout the day.
Here it is:
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.
What we are discovering — in tune with the wisdom of ancient Israel’s recitation of Shema and the early church’s recitation of the Jesus Creed and the Lord’s Prayer — is that this sacred rhythm works love of God and love of others into the bones and sinews of each day. Who will take this challenge? (We have a book coming out soon, but it will not be available for this 40 day period of Lent; it is called 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed)
Here’s the cover to our book soon to come out; this devotional book extends the Jesus Creed into the early Christian church. It is designed to be read one chapter a day for forty days. We will be announcing some special offers Paraclete has dreamed up for the readers of this blog.
Tomorrow morning, at 6am ET I will be making an offer for free advance copies of the book.

And here’s one of the artists involved in the cover.

A recent lunch at Community of Jesus with Pam Jordan and Carol Showalter…