Lent 2012

Because Lent is a period of fasting, self-examination, and reflection, you are going to notice differences in our worship services during the season.  While all Sundays, as "little Easters," technically stand outside of Lent, our worship is going to look and feel somewhat more austere than usual.  The purpose for this is to try to strip away those things, even those good things, in our worship space that could possibly hinder us from the business of Lent.  (An additional benefit of this arrangement is that when Easter does finally get here, all the colors and all the music and all the pageantry that accompany Easter will be that much more powerful when contrasted with the austerity of Lent!)  

 

One last thing.  I know that many of you have already made decisions about whatever it is you have planned to "give up" for Lent.  If you have already embarked on that discipline, congratulations.  Just as Jesus prepared himself for his public ministry by his time of fasting in the wilderness, I pray that your own fast will serve to confirm and strengthen you in your own faith.

 

However, I want to offer you the same option I recently offered to our "The Book" Club class.  Just as fasting provides an opportunity to substitute prayer and reflection for the time you would have normally devoted to the thing from which you are fasting, you might also consider adding a new discipline in the place of the thing from which you are fasting.  Because you would be "taking on something new" rather than just "giving up something old," the possibilities are endless.

 

I'm going to give it a try.  I hope you will, too.

 

-Michael Burgess