Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James 4:10
Sisters and Brothers, in one week we enter into the Holy Season of Lent. More than a countdown to Easter, it's a time to deepen our faith and reliance on God. I do think that it is important to give something up for Lent (see blow). But always remember: Lent is not something we do FOR God; Lent is something we do WITH God.
Here are 10 suggestions to have a powerful Lent:
1) Eat Pancakes (on Shrove Tuesday)
The first suggestion happens the night before Lent. Enjoy fellowship, eat up, and have fun! The All Saints
Pancake Supper is March 1st 5:30-7:30 p.m. This will help you bond with your faith community as you begin Lent.
2) Receive Ashes on Ash Wednesday
There are services at noon and 7:30 p.m. We remind ourselves of the realities of sin and death, turning to Christ as our only help. Ash Wednesday will prepare you in heart, mind, and spirit for Lent.
3) Give something up
It should be something that you will notice each day. The point is not to torture yourself, but to turn your gaze to God and rely on Him. When you remove something, you can be filled with the gifts of the Spirit.
4) Tell others
Whatever you decide to give up, here is a huge tip: tell as many people as possible! This Lent, I (Fr. Matthew) am giving up alcohol. There, I just told 400 people. This really helps you stick to it; and also invites others to pray for you.
5) Plan to be filled
Again, when you remove something, you create a space that needs to be filled. Plan and pray about this. If you give up Facebook, how will you spend that new open time and energy? Writing notes? Journaling? Watching spiritual videos online? Taking walks? Don't be over ambitious here. Ask God to help you with the plan.
6) Read the Bible
Obvious, right? But where to start? For Lent, the Gospel of Mark is a good choice, because it offers short, powerful bursts of action that will bring you face-to-face with Jesus. The book of Hebrews, with its powerful atonement theology; and the book James, with its practical applications, are both excellent choices.
7) Accept grace!
So far this list has a lot of things to DO. But we know that the Christian life is not a to-do list, even though our actions are very important. In Lent, accept the fact that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you, to forgive you for your sins. Because he loves you. You can't earn it. It's unmerited favor! It's grace.
8) Be generous
Open your heart during lent. Offer kind words or a smile to strangers. Let a car go ahead of you on the highway lane. If you are able, open your wallet. Give to mission & outreach – even a small check to a Christian cause goes a long way. Support your parish church, for it is your local expression of the Kingdom of God. Giving helps set your entire financial life in order.
9) Draw close to other believers
As Fr. Ed Kelaher used to say, "There is no such thing as lone-wolf Christianity." Be with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Attend church services. Join me for the Men of Virtue group online. Join one of BJ's Bible studies. Jump into morning/evening prayer via Zoom. Pray at the Wednesday "Furnace" prayer meeting. Try the women's Bible study on Thursday. Most of these take less than an hour, and you will leave feeling better than when you came!
10) Pray
Again, obvious, right? But prayer does not always come naturally. Personally, I often struggle with a consistent pattern of prayer, and I'm a priest(!) Make a plan, ask for help, write down names of people to pray for. Remember the old stand-bys: the Lord's Prayer and the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
See you next Tuesday and Wednesday!
God bless you!
Fr. Matthew
