This Sunday we will celebrate the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. The season culminates with the Transfiguration readings, a robust example of how God has been made manifest in our midst. Then we will gather midweek, first on Shrove Tuesday for the final feast before the fasting of Lent. On Ash Wednesday (noon and 6 pm), we gather again to mark the beginning of Lent. This service invites us to the observance of a holy Lent and includes the imposition of ashes.

It is common practice to ‘give up’ something for Lent, a type of fasting that helps us remember our blessings and the sacrifice of God. Most often I hear of people giving up a specific food, like chocolate. The invitation in our prayer book includes other disciplines as well: “self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.” All of this together can be daunting, as well as rewarding.

I hope that you’ll take some time prior to Ash Wednesday to consider what practice would be most meaningful to you this Lent. It’s okay if it shifts or changes once the season is underway — it’s about pursuit, not perfection. Lenten disciplines are often individual commitments, but they don’t have to be. For some, having a partner or joining your family for a shared discipline increases its effectiveness, as well as creating some favorable accountability.

I look forward to walking through this sacred season with you.

Blessings,
Paul