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In February we move from the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ to the season of Lent, beginning February 22. Lent is the time when we focus on God’s redemptive acts, a time for deepening our faith through repentance, fellowship, prayer, fasting, and remembering the covenant we share through our baptism. At the heart of the Christian faith is our participation in the life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. We proclaim that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus was born into human history for our salvation. Through his death and resurrection, we are delivered from sin and death, and by the Holy Spirit we are born into eternal life with God. Lent gives us time to reflect on this deeper meaning of our faith in our worship and in our lives.
Many people think the Lenten season is a time to give up something, that its absence will lead us to a deeper faith. In the sense that Jesus gave up his life for us, we are to also give up something that gives us pleasure that we might grow in our faith.
Yet I think that during this time we might consider doing something that will enrich our lives and help us grow toward a deeper knowledge of God’s grace to us. I encourage you to take on a spiritual growth project during this season of Lent. Examples include Bible reading and study, more faithful attendance at worship, giving more to the mission programs of our church, among many others. The purpose is to make a commitment to doing things that will bring you closer to God, to Christ, to your church, and to each other during this important time.
May this Lenten Season be one in which all of us will grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and of each other.
~Pastor Bill
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