This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent includes the 40 days before Easter, not including Sundays. It is a time of repentance and returning our lives to God. It is a somber, introspective season.
It is traditional to give up something for Lent. A form of a fast. What to give up? The point of giving something up has many dimensions. It can be thought of as sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. It can be reminiscent of Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness without access to the usual comforts of life. It can be a time to give something up that is getting in the way of your full discipleship. It can be an effort to overcome a character flaw or damaging behavior. In recent times, there are Christians who have chosen a form of carbon fast for Lent – giving up some form of energy usage.
Another way to look at the Lenten discipline of fasting, of giving something up, is to think about taking something on. This can be a time to do something that increases our discipleship, that brings us closer to God and others. A time to embark on some kind of service or regimen that makes a positive contribution in some way.
At Lakewood this Lenten season, we will be focussing on love: How to be more loving. What is means to love God, Jesus, ourselves, others, and the world. So as you consider your Lenten fast, the commitment you will make for this season, you may want to think about a discipline that will help you to love more fully and more deeply in some way. Is there something you can do to strengthen your ability to love? Or to love in some way that you have found difficult? Is there a relationship in your life that you may want to work on? Is there a way to show love to your enemies? Or the poor? Or someone you find difficult to get along with? As you prepare to enter this holy season, think about how you can nurture your capacity to love through your Lenten disciplines of worship, study, scripture, fasting, and giving of money, time, and talent. May our Lenten journey bring us closer to the source of Love within us and at the heart of creation.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 