March 2023 Blog

Our Lenten Journey

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 temptations and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is also 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, we focus on our relationships with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others. 

This year, our theme for Lent will be “Forgiveness.” Over the next five Sundays we’ll look at:

 God’s Preemptive Grace

Forgiveness and our relationship with God

Forgiving others

Forgiving ourselves and

Corporate forgiveness.

Each week we’ll delve into stories in Scripture that will help us live into these challenging but liberating principles. I pray that this will be a fruitful season that will lead us into a glorious Easter. As we enter this season, I offer this prayer for our reflection:

Sometimes I need a clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning, new life from a world of death. God, let me embrace your forgiveness so that I may know to the depths of my soul that as I offer my brokenness I am made new.  Amen.*

On the journey with you,

Tracy