The season of Lent will soon be upon us. The first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, happens to fall on Valentine’s Day this year. That’s poetic, I suppose, since Lent is a time to examine our hearts.
The word “Lent” comes from an old English word for “lengthen,” and refers to the lengthening of those long-anticipated days of spring. The forty-day period before Easter offers Christians pause to reflect on our spirituality, examine our hearts, and take an inventory of our lives. Why forty days? The number forty is derived from the traditional forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. His desert sojourn was a time of solitude and self-examination, quiet prayer and meditation.
We are offering several such soul-nourishing opportunities during this season, including Sunday covenant groups (a new five-week session begins Feb. 25th), Wednesday Evening Fellowship meals and classes (starting Feb. 21st) and “Christian Mindfulness,” a seven-week Lenten experience facilitated by Joseph Lambrecht and myself, utilizing spiritual practices of centering prayer, lectio divina and contemplative prayer (begins the week of Feb. 5th, offered at three different times: Mondays from 6:30-7:30pm (Adult Room), Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30pm (Friendship Village) and Thursdays from 10:00-11:00am (Adult Room).
A Lenten devotional based on the poetry of Mary Oliver will be available to help enrich your journey to Easter. I hope to worship with you on Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, at 7pm as we commence the season of Lent.
Blessings, Pastor Jeff
