Lenten Reflections of your Pastor

The season of Lent invites us all to take a few quiet moments each day for self-reflection and contemplation. In the Christian tradition, this also infers time for repentance, refocus, re-energizing, and reorganizing.

Lent is the season of focus that begins with Ash Wednesday. It is a reminder that thinking about mortality takes spiritual maturity. It is during the Ash Wednesday service that we are reminded of three important factors…

First, we are invited to acknowledge that we are not always pure in heart. Second, we are reminded that we do not always love God with all we have. Finally, we are reminded that we really struggle balancing our human aspirations and kingdom goals. Ash Wednesday leads us into a season of reflection, refocusing, re-equipping and re-engaging. Marilyn Adams once wrote, “the purpose of Lent is to let that public confession and outward humiliation work from the outside in, toward genuine repentance that receives the forgiveness of sins”. We are invited to pray, fast, give to others, all from a very private place in our hearts with the sole motivation of developing a healthy relationship with God.

This season can be filled with quiet and gentle opportunities to reflect on the events and activities in our lives. It allows spiritual reflection on our definition of success and the search for real meaning and purpose. Often this time of refocusing is done in the context of prayer, the study of scripture and attendance at worship…it may also be a time to rediscover what aspects of your life really feeds your spirit. Is it reading? Times of rest? Or time with real friends in authenticity?

Lent may be a time for each of us to ask the question, “to whom do I owe an apology?” or even, “with whom is it time for reconciliation?” True spiritual transformation comes from asking ourselves lifechanging questions: what needs to change in my life so that I may serve God, humanity and those I love the most every day? Lent can be a time of spiritual awakening when we take the time and energy to gently ask ourselves, “what are my hopes, dreams, and goals for the next year and how can I faithfully reach those goals under God’s direction?”

I am convinced that Lent gives us the opportunity for some serious self-examination remembering that Paul Lebeau once said, “growth can happen in a rocking chair”.

The season of Lent is actually about a spiritual transformation of the mind and heart… a spiritual heart transplant if you will. Rodney Hunter once wrote, “Lent is the time for beginning to learn what it means to be transformed, to let go of our idolatrous desires to make God a means to our own end. It is a time to seek the face of the living God in secret…”

I would propose that we are really exploring improvement by the grace of God. I believe that the outward actions of worship, public prayer, and giving to others can work to change the inner spirit but, I am also convinced that this journey requires significant inner work as well. Motive matters. May our desire for a healthy relationship with Christ direct our devotion during this Lenten season. May we have a blessed Lent filled with gentle, insightful, lifegiving questions that make us curious about how to live fully with the direction of the Holy Spirit. May our Lent be filled with love, compassion, gentleness and hopefulness.

Blessings,

Stephen