Friends,

This mornings daily reading from the gospels took us back to Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the desert (from Matthew 4:1-10).  This Wednesday, February 18th marks the beginning of Lent, the season in the Church calendar which echoes the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his earthly ministry.

Lent is a time of preparation, much like Advent helps us to prepare for Christ’s coming at Christmas.  Traditionally it offers us 40 days to prepare our hearts for Easter, which this year is April 5th.  That preparation can be a time of fasting, (like Jesus’ fasting in the desert), of repentance, of prayer and of sacrificial giving.

At the beginning of Lent, we have found these questions to be helpful.

1. When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, how will I be different? What am I preparing for?

2. Is there something in my life—a habit, a grudge, a fear, a prejudice, an addiction, an emotional barrier, a form of excess—that keeps me from loving God with my heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving my neighbor as myself? How might I address that over the next 40 days? 

3. Lent is a time to listen to God, but sometimes God speaks through others, particularly the poor, oppressed, marginalized, and suffering. To whom should I be listening this season? How can I cultivate a listening posture toward others whose perspective and experiences might differ from my own? 

4. Is there a spiritual discipline—praying the hours, lectio divina, the examen—that I’ve always wanted to try?  How might I alter my daily routine to include one of these disciplines? 

5. The cycle of death and resurrection is central to the Christian faith. In what ways is that cycle present in my life right now? Where might there be necessary change, suffering, death and decay, and how might new life emerge from those experiences?

This may seem like a lot. Read through the questions as a meditation. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the question that stands out. Take what is helpful and leave the rest.

Rich and Jayne