A friend of mine sent a message to me on Thursday that simply said, “Happy Lent.” I quickly wrote back and said, “happy Lent?” She wrote back and said, “Yes, happy season of penitence.” I couldn’t wrap my mind around this because often all I can envision is sackcloth and ashes (symbols of mourning and repentance). As I reflected further, I could begin to see why this could be “happy.” It has nothing to do with our “feelings” about Lent. It has to do with the possibilities that lay before us in the water, the wilderness and the presence of God.
The season of penitence and self-examination began with Ash Wednesday. The mark of the ashes reminds us of our own mortality, but also calls into a period of reflection. We will be doing that at Crossroads and across the Metropolitan parish through our series on mindfulness. We will journey into the depths of our being as we seek to experience and practice the presence of God in our everyday lives.
The season of Lent beckons us to dive into this journey with all of our hearts. Whether you are giving up something or taking on something, I pray this will be time of praying, fasting, and practicing spiritual disciplines that will lead us to a deeper relationship with God.
My prayer is that in our worship celebrations each week that you will be equipped with resources, time, space, music, words of confession, and fellowship that will enhance this journey. I hope to see you (and I encourage you to invite someone to experience this as well) at 5 PM on Sunday. I can’t wait to see what God is up to as we begin this journey together…
Happy, er, Lent?!
Jimmy
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