Honoring the Season of Lent
We are in that special season, the holy time of Lent. And the church for almost all of the two thousand years since Jesus life, death and resurrection, has invited faithful people to focus on their spiritual lives during Lent. I hope you are doing that in these days.
There are many spiritual practices and diverse ways for you and your family to honor this sacred time leading up to the last week of Jesus’ life, that is to holy week and its incredible depth and profound spiritual challenges: Jesus washing the disciples feet, Jesus forgiving his executioners, Jesus teaching a ‘new’ commandment to love one another, Jesus confronting the hypocrisy of religious fundamentalists, Jesus dying because of the love of God for humanity, Jesus coming to life and living in his followers.
I want to share with you two practices in which I have been engaging in these holy days:
1. I have been reading a lot about St Francis, in anticipation of a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy in May. I hope to have opportunity to share with all of you some of what I am learning and some of the ways that I am praying for my own life to be transformed by encountering Francis’ life and passions. My daily reading and journaling is
illuminating my
need for God’s help
in living like Jesus.
2. I have been daily
putting a dollar bill
or my pocket change
in the Lent collection
box we have encourage people to take with them through out Lent. On Palm Sunday during worship, we will collect the coin boxes and donate to causes that help people. The collection I am making will not amount to much money….but what is important is that through this discipline I am being reminded every day to be praying for people in need.
The point is not what you are giving up or taking on! The point is are you drawing closer to God, are you finding yourself drawn deeper into the love and grace of the Holy One, are you changing some small thing in order to focus on the most important thing: letting the life and love of Jesus Christ grow in you and be shared by you to the world?
One important spiritual practice is saying “Good bye!” with honesty and integrity. Over the next two and a half months we will be ending our relationship as Pastor and people of God called First Church of Christ. I will finish my ministry at this church on June 18. I deeply desire that we end