Pastor’s Pen – February 2018

Pastor’s Pen – February 2018

Lent Is Approaching

“Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting, and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.” (What is Lent and why does it last for forty days – umc.org)

Lent is a great time to focus on our relationship with God, as we prepare our hearts for Easter. Every year, I use Lent to calibrate my relationship with God. So I ask, ‘God, what discipline would you like me to improve during this season?’ and God gives me a unique journey for my heart every year.

This year, I am led to start a new endeavor that will motivate me, and hopefully others,  to devote time to pray more in the morning.  I want to start an early morning prayer meeting via Facebook live and other platforms that allow me to broadcast.  I will present a 10-15 minute devotion, live every morning at 6 am, which will be recorded and archived (meaning that you wouldn’t have to log on at 6 am).  We will go through the devotion according to our Lenten sermon series: 24 Hours That Changed The World. More information will be shared as we approach Lent.

It is going to be a challenge, but I know that it will help me grow and help us to seek God’s will during this season. So my question is… ‘Are you ready?’