“Lent is our salvation from the depth of nothingness. It is the guide to the more of life.”
– Sister Joan Chittister
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.—Psalm 86:10-13 (NRSV)
The season of Lent is in full swing inviting us to return to God. The first two months of the year have come and gone. It might seem like nothing has changed and that plateauing is the only plausible option. There is nothing inherently wrong with plateauing. It means that there has been progress. We have made it to a new stage of development or come to terms with our new realities. If we are not careful to open our ears and hearts, we might feel like this is a punishment. We feel the need and desire to go on to the next big thing or make groundbreaking changes or seek out success (specifically what we think that means for churches); however, in this season of Lent, I am going to make the conscious decision to embrace this stage the year. These 40 days give us the opportunity to reflect on where we are while drawing us nearer to Christ. In our wildernesses or promised lands, we cannot let ourselves run ahead aimlessly or fall into the pit of nothingness. Lent is a ripe time for us to find meaning, hope, the Spirit’s guiding, ways we are being asked to change, and to come to repentance. Our searching will lead us to Jesus. Remember, He is the Christ that knows what it feels like to be human with its aches and pains. Our prayer for this Lent should be, “teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name” and save me from nothingness so that I can experience a new life of abundance in you. Maybe we are not actually plateauing but stabilizing as God mends us for whatever is to come.
Covered in lint for Lent,
Pastor Joy