From the Pastor’s Desk

You've probably heard the old joke: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice, practice, practice."

Ask any accomplished musician or athlete how they got to where they are, they would probably have the same answer: "practice." They practice so when game or performance comes, they don't have to think about what they are doing. They can concentrate on the task, not the mechanics of the music or play.

That's true for our faith and relationship with God as Christians. Lent is a time we are invited to rededicate ourselves to our practices of faith, Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5, (we'll have a service at St. John's with Hope at 6:30pm that day) and continues through Holy Saturday.

I've come to understand Lent is more than giving up chocolate, restarting New Year's resolutions that only lasted 2 days, or taking up a new, healthy habit. Lent actually has nothing to do with "self-improvement".

During Lent we are invited to take up or devote more time to prayer and scripture reflection, fasting, and giving to those in need. Some consider these penance, a punishment for their sins and wrongs of the last year. Others look at them as ways to become better people, to earn "brownie points" or prove their faithfulness to God by keeping theses practices faithfully. (I've found myself in one of these camps at one time or another.)

I've come to feel differently about Lent and these practices. These practices help clear out distractions that are roadblocks to me being closer to God. They help me turn my focus to my relationship with God, and God's love for us. This is why Jesus goes into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray. He is going to spend time with God, to allow God's grace and love to fil and surround him. I don't believe the temptations he faces at the end are the point of this time: his ability to resist them is the result of this time. He is able to say no to them because during his time he has experienced the deepness of God's love for him and others and learned to rely on their relationship.

Lent is a period to consciously put aside additional time to practice our faith. Yes, that will mean giving something up for these forty days as there are only 24 hours in a day- and we need to sleep at some point. We put time aside to spend with God so God can reveal the obstacles, those actions or omissions, that keep us from being in full relationship with God and others (what we call sin.) And then we also will know who to turn to when we also want them to go away. Lent is a time of relationship building – both with God and others.

I invite you to take some time this Lent to engage in these practices – to pick up a new one or spend more time on one you engage in now. It can be as simple as reading and reflecting on a morning devotional for ten minutes while you drink your coffee, instead of picking up your phone or jumping on the computer to catch up on the day's news or watch cute puppy videos. Or it can be trying a new way of praying – the Ignatian Examen, Lectio Divinia, Contemplative are just some of the options. Sometimes engaging in these practices will seem as if nothing is happening, or your mind may wander to your to do list. That's okay. That's why it's called practice.

Lent is a time to experience God's love and grace in a new way, or to be reminded of the love and grace you know but have put into the back of your mind. Lent reminds us that even in the darkest or most terrifying times and situations, we are not alone. Lent ends with Easter Sunday- God's answer to all destruction and death: despite that it seems like they may win, no matter what it may seem like in the moment, God will have the final word and it will be good and life-giving. Lent is a time to let go of enough that we have space in our lives and spirits to recognize and enter into that reality 365 days a year.





God’s grace and peace.
Pastor Deb Kunkel