With Ash Wednesday next week, the season of Lent begins. The name “Lent” comes from the Old English “lengthen” as days lengthen in spring; the date of Good Friday is always the first Friday after the first full moon of Spring (at least in the northern hemisphere). Lent helps us walk through the season as winter gives way to spring. Spiritually, Lent is about a six-week period of examination, reflection, and repentance. It focuses on Jesus’ journey to the cross and leads us to his resurrection — Easter Sunday.
A lot of folks make a practice of giving things up for Lent. The idea behind this practice is to replace the attention you’d normally give to that thing in your life with being more attentive to God. It’s also to develop the habit of living without whatever that thing is beyond the six weeks of Lent. Giving a thing up only to pick it back up again once Easter has arrived sort of defeats the purpose (I speak from personal experience here).
But since Lent is a period of examination, I wonder if you’d like to take up the practice of looking for God’s presence in your life. By practicing what’s called the Daily Examen, developed centuries ago by Ignatian Loyola and still practiced by many today, reflect each day for about 15 minutes on where God is in your life today.
The good folks at Ignatian Spirituality have developed a prayer card to help you practice this. Just click here to download a copy of the card and begin the practice of examination during the days of Lent.
Another idea, think about asking a friend or a group to go through this journey with you. I’m sure having a conversation once a week or so about what you’re learning would prove helpful.
Join us in the sanctuary this coming Wednesday, March 2 at 6:30 for our Ash Wednesday service. The service is a short, family-friendly, and bilingual service with our friends from Iglesia Piedra Viva. Just FYI, the service will not be live-streamed.
And I hope you’ll join us for worship on Sunday. If you’re joining us online, go to the online worship page at 10 AM CST. Looking forward to seeing you then!
Breathe love,
Pastor Gregg
