Remember you are dust…and to dust you shall return. 

 

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.  It is a season of preparation for celebrating Easter.  You might ask yourself, how do I get prepared for Easter?  I believe preparing for Easter involves more than picking out a nice Easter outfit for yourself, your children or grandchildren.  It’s more than preparing a special Easter Sunday meal for your family.  This season of preparation is meant to be personal.  It’s meant to involve self-examination, to take a hard serious look at your life.  It may involve a new spiritual practice; giving of yourself in fasting, study, meditation and prayer. 

 

I recognize that to examine our own hearts and lives is not always a comfortable or enjoyable experience.  I get that.  It may be easier on you to glance over the material, to dance around the margins, to keep yourself guarded, and not be very involved.  As tempting as this might be I invite you this year to step up and accept the challenge.  We will intentionally confront our own mortality.  It’s a way in which we recognize we are created by God, made in God’s image, and yet, so often we fail to be God-like.  We are broken.  As you give yourself to this experience, we will come face to face with our need for our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

 

We will begin this season called Lent on March 1, at 7p.m., with our Ash Wednesday Worship Service.  I encourage you to make the sacrifices necessary to be fully engaged in this season of self-examination and preparation.  Make every effort to be in worship: heart, mind, body and soul.  Take advantage of the opportunities to grow, whether it be at our Tuesday Lenten Lunches (beginning March 7), our Thursday study of the Apostles’ Creed (beginning March 9), or other bible studies offered in our church.  Branch out a bit further.  Attempt something new.  If you’ve never been in a study, take advantage of this season to stretch yourself.  God will be with you.  Of that, I am certain and it will be good.

 

Blessings and Joy,

 

Pastor Craig