The Lenten season is an important part of my spiritual life.  It offers a time of reflection and an opportunity to further explore my relationship with God.  This importance reaches back to childhood when I would give up Reese Peanut Butter Cups-the ultimate sacrifice for a kid.

With maturity comes a deeper understanding of the meaning of sacrifice.  Pastor’s sermon tonight offered a refresher course on how to maximize participation in all aspects of Lent.  If you are wondering about the title of this blog, let me explain.

F.A.P. stands for three aspects of Lent.  F = fasting; A = Alms; and P = prayer.  I made up the acronym after listening to the service.  Most illustrations list Prayer in the first slot, but I don’t think that God cares about the order in which you do these actions.  Doing them will give you an inner glow and closeness to the mind of God.

Fasting, while normally associated with abstaining from foods, can apply to all areas of our lives.  A resolution to restrain from the use of colorful language or nasty, sarcastic comments can be a positive way to honor Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  A resolution to increase one’s sense of community through volunteering with a local non-profit will provide a service for those in need and a feeling of unity for the volunteer.

Alms, a funny word that is hard to pronounce, refers to the act of giving.  We usually think of it in terms of money to the church.  It can also be goods and services, such as the volunteering mentioned above.  We currently have a church project to collect non-perishable items, such as personal hygiene items, beverages and snack foods that can be packaged for distribution to the homeless.  Bringing items for the Food Shelf or handing a dollar to the man standing at the corner also qualify for this offering.

Prayer is the cornerstone of our relationship with God.  Hopefully, it happens all year long, not just during Lent.   Could this be the time to ramp up the volume, quantity and quality of our prayers?  Resolve to be in constant contact with God who loves us unconditionally, not just during Lent but all the time, not just some of us but every single one of us.  Keep F.A.P. in mind for a reminder.

Terri