Lenten Intentions

I'm currently sitting in our room at a B&B in Tennessee, enjoying the Smoky Mountains from my window and the beautiful 70 degree breeze. Kyle and I spent the whole day outside at a place called Cades Cove in Smoky Mountain National Park. It was so beautiful, so needed. Reconnecting with mother earth after the longest winter ever is seriously glorious. I never want to see snow again! Anyway, as we were exploring around Cades Cove today I was thinking about this season of Lent. I haven't posted much about my Lenten journey on the blog on purpose. I needed a lot of time to reflect personally. Now, with Lent wrapping up, I feel like it's not only appropriate, but necessary for me to share how the Spirit has been working in my life during this season.

It's been the best Lent I've ever had, hands down. Lent is one of my favorite church seasons and this one has been exceptionally spirit-filled and full of true growth. This year, I decided that I was going to take something on instead of giving something up. You see, there was a real hole in my life, full of anger, frustration, self-pity and other nasty things. This hole was caused partly by people and partly by me. So, for Lent, I committed to doing what I wanted to do least, but needed to do most, and that was to love my neighbor. Loving a general neighbor is easy enough, but it's loving those who have hurt us or let us down in some form that is more difficult. It's one of the most important biblical commandments, yet when someone hurts me, it's no longer easy for me to hold them in love. Instead, it's super easy, even enjoyable for me to hold them in a grudge. This type of behavior ends up hurting everyone involved in the end, but over the years I've discovered that lack of love for any neighbor of mine annihilates my own joy. So, who's the real loser?

I committed to loving my neighbors -- my literal, technical neighbors, my friends, my peers, my annoying acquaintances, those who have hurt me -- everyone. This practice has taken on various forms: perhaps delivering baked goods to someone, inviting people over for dinner, writing someone a note, giving someone a ride, forgiving someone whether or not they've realized that they've hurt me, listening to my annoying acquaintances, and apologizing for hurting others. The most important thing that I've discovered is that this requires daily, specific prayer. I had to pray daily that the Lord might help me to keep an eye out for those that might need a specific type of care or love, and ways that I could practice needed forgiveness. The Lord opened up ample opportunities for me to love my neighbor! Some expected, some totally unexpected. Some opportunities obvious, some subtle. This Lenten season has been a true gift. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I have changed and have been disciplined about focusing. This, after all, is what the Lenten season is all about (This is also why I am so grateful to be a part of a church that has a foundation in the church calendar. Just thought I'd throw that nerdy tid-bit out there). I definitely have not become perfect at loving my neighbor this Lent, but surely intentionality is a step in the right direction.

Last of all, I must give thanks for our local church that has guided me along on this beautiful journey. Kyle and I have grown SO much since attending this church and we're so grateful for the wonderful community that we've become a part of. We're so grateful that this community invites ALL in. I've learned to love my neighbor this season through the way that my church has loved me. Never underestimate the power of including and loving people in your community.

Well, that's how I've grown this season! My heart is ready for Easter Sunday and we still have Holy Week to go. How have you grown this Lenten season? What did you give up or take on? The pastor in me is always curious.

One of the easy and enjoyable ways I was able to practice loving my Kentucky neighbors...highway clean-up! This was really fun!

From Dust to Dust

Out of dust we were taken and to dust we shall all return. Lent is a season that I welcome gladly each year. As many of you know, I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, so I grew up celebrating Lent. When I started going to a non-denominational church during my middle school and high school years, Lent (and the church calendar in general) was abandoned. I was fine with that at the time. It was nice to have a break from church tradition because it had turned into a sort of dead orthodoxy for me. However, when I attended college at Southwestern, the church calendar became a pertinent part of my life again. Not really by choice, but by default. I did choose to attend a Methodist affiliated college, after all. My first Ash Wednesday at college sent me straight back to my Roman Catholic roots. I wasn't sure how to feel about Lent because somewhere along the way I had convinced myself that the church seasons, Lent included, were irrelevant. My first Lenten season at Southwestern proved otherwise. However, I didn't realize how much Lent meant to me until Easter morning that year. If anything will make Easter relevant to you, it will be Lent.

After experiencing and participating in Ash Wednesdays and Lenten seasons over the past six years, I've come to realize that Lent will really rock your world if you take it seriously. I've discovered that you will find a different joy on an Easter morning that has been preceded by a serious Lenten season. Lent is a time for us to acknowledge that we are weak and sinful. From dust we were taken and to dust we shall return. Our lives are meaningless without Christ. We fast and pray and seek Christ during this season in more intentional ways. Lent is a time when we acknowledge that we are not self-made. This is a difficult realization for all of us. We're good and making and re-making ourselves. Lent is letting go of all of that.

On Easter morning, I cannot wait for the sun to come up because it signifies that Jesus has risen! Jesus has won the battle over sin. If you observe Lent, on Easter morning you don't have to pretend to be happy. Friends, you're going to be happy because the time to mourn and reflect on your brokenness and frailty is gone. Easter becomes extremely relevant when you've spent a season acknowledging your own sin.

When we observe Lent, we wake up as different people on Easter morning. I hope and pray that this Lenten journey will be meaningful for you. Blessings during this season of reflection, friends.

A picture from our tiny country church prior to our Ash Wednesday fellowship meal and service. The purple linens reflect the change in our church season. We are preparing for our Lenten journey that will lead us to our Easter vigil.