Are you excited it’s Lent?  No?  Certainly, the journey to the cross doesn’t give the same warm, fuzzy feeling the baby Jesus does, but remember who your journey is with.  There is no commandment to observe Lent in the Bible.  It is a long held Christian tradition, but it’s not something we have to do.  Rather, it is something we get to do.  Yesterday, Wayne wrote about repentance.  Today I want to focus on another “r” word I think of when I think of Lent: renewal.

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he went into the wilderness to pray and spend 40 days alone with God.  If Jesus needed time with God, how much more do we?  And apparently Satan saw Jesus’ time of prayer and fasting as a threat because he took the opportunity to tempt him.  These 40 days are the model for our Lenten practice.

One of the traditional practices during Lent is to give something up.  But why bother?  What’s the purpose, really?  I’ve heard people say things like it helps identify with Christ (really?) or it helps with their self control (okay), and still others claim it reveals their need for God (now we’re getting somewhere!) There is one other reason I’ve heard that is convincing to me.  We live busy lives in an over scheduled society and let activities and programs overtake our time.  Even well intentioned things like church programs, committee meetings, serving, (you fill in the blank here) … Can take up our time, but Jesus said only one thing was important. (Lk 10)  This Lenten Season say no to over-scheduling, and instead take time to sit at the feet of Jesus, soaking in his words.  If it’s not helping you turn toward God, think twice before adding it to your schedule.  Let us take 40 days to soak in God’s love, sit in God’s presence and renew our spirits.  Let us recharge our relationship with God so we can be renewed in spirit, and then go out to work alongside God, being the hands and feet of Christ to a world in need.  I don’t know about you, but that’s something I can get excited about!  Read Psalm 46:1-11 and Luke 10:38-42, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Annie