Today is Ash Wednesday and is the beginning of the season of the church year we refer to as “Lent.” Some of you may not be familiar with the custom of recognizing Lent as part of your spiritual practice. This description from the UMC website may be helpful:

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, meaning “lengthen” and refers to the lengthening days of spring. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by new converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians. Today, Christians focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.

During the season of Lent, we will be sharing several devotionals each week with our church family. These are written by church members who worship alongside you on Sunday mornings. Some hold positions of leadership in the church and others serve quietly, doing whatever they see needs doing! Some are retired, a few are just getting their grip on empty-nesting while others are busy parenting young children. Whatever perspective they bring, they are fellow pilgrims on the road of discipleship—seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and faithfully traverse the path of discipleship.

Proverbs 27:17 says: As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Let’s claim these words from scripture as we challenge and encourage one another during our days of preparation in this holy season leading up to Easter!

Submitted by Dr. Gene Lammers, Lay Member of Annual Conference

John 16:33

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

I don’t like winter. Even though I spent more than 25 years of my life in the “north“ where snow and even below zero temperatures are common, since I moved back to the deep South, I find each winter more and more troublesome. A few days in a row of temperatures below 40 and I find myself wondering will this cold weather ever end! 

But even though I don’t like winter and the bare trees, brown grass, cold weather, and few comfortable outdoor activities, I actually do like Lent. 

To me, Lent is a quiet season. Fewer big events. Football is over.  No graduations.

During Lent, I anticipate that the cold weather will start to fade and be replaced by the beautiful spring that we are so lucky to have. 

I also find Lent to be a great time to reflect, analyze, and perhaps re-prioritize the cold, damp, and dark things that are close to me.  

When I think about all that is going on in my life and in my community and my state and my nation and in this world, it is overwhelming. The quiet stillness of the Lenten season gives me time to pause and reflect. Not only on the challenges and the hurts and the upset and the losses but on the bright future ahead. 

Life is simultaneously a series of joy and sadness, new loss and new life, worry and peace. Little problems can seem big and big problems overwhelming.  Some problems cannot be grasped or understood at all. 

But John 16:33 tells us that Jesus came to overcome the troubles of this world, the death and despair and distraction, and leave us with faith and hope and love and contentment and peace. 

May this Lenten season be for you a time of replacing anxiety with calm, worry with contentment, and fear with hope. 

“Take heart!”

Almighty and Gracious God, 

During this time of struggles and strife and worry, let us feel your presence in our lives. We know you never leave or forsake us.  We need only turn to you. 

Let this season of Lent be an opportunity for us to calm ourselves, by placing all our trust in you.

In the all- powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.