Lent
// February 16th, 2010 // Comments Off // Church, Uncategorized
We are one day away from beginning the observation of Lent in our community and in much of the Christian Church worldwide. This past Saturday we began tuning our hearts toward what God may be wanting to do in us as we examined Jesus teaching at Nazareth and how Jesus challenges us to see him in ways that we don’t often expect.
This year we are joining with Spring Hill United Methodist Church for Ash Wednesday and will then journey together through Lent using this guide that my friend Brody Harper help me put together. Feel free to download it. Use it and journey with us.
Maybe a good framework to use is examining your intent and practices as you see them played out in your rituals, your story and your relationships. In other words what are the things you do over and over again and where do they say that your allegiances lie (rituals)? What are you involved in that says who you are? What would a biographer say is the arc of your life (story)? How are you relationships – with God, yourself, your family, your friends, your community (relationships)? Is there work that needs to be done in these areas?
Remember Lent is not just about giving something up? It’s about laying down thins that are keeping you from being everything that God created you to be and picking up things that do this. I’ll be honest Lent is a struggle. It is hard work. It takes commitment but just like the exodus, the exile the 3 days in the tomb, the waiting of the church there is redemption in the end and how we handle the waiting is as important as how we handle the victory.
Praying that you join the journey with us.
Peace ~
William
Our community will be gathering with Spring Hill United Methodist Church and Southview Community Church for worship on Christmas Eve. Services are going to begin at 5pm, 7pm and 11pm. The service at 5pm will be about 50 minutes long and is geared toward families with children. The services at 7pm & 11pm will be one hour long and will offer the opportunity to take the Eucharist. All services will end with a time of candle lights and singing.
