I recently got to introduce a series of videos that our church is making to help people journey through Lent. They’ll be posted, here, on my blog, so here’s the invitation that I extended to our congregation on Sunday morning!
Good morning! For those of you I don’t yet know, I have a background in theology and ministry, but am currently working as a stay at home mom. I am so excited to be helping with some videos that will guide us through Lent. You know, it’s not a season that we have emphasized in our particular church tradition, so I would suspect that it is fairly unfamiliar to many of us. But one of Jesus’ stories makes me think that 2019 may be a good time for that to change.
In one of his parables, Jesus said that God’s word can be like seed that falls among dormant thorns (as a gardener, I’m thinking of thistles). The seed of God’s word sprouts and begins growing, but is quickly choked out by everything else that is also growing up all around it. This is compared with seed planted in good soil, where it has the space and nourishment to grow up healthy, strong, and fruitful. This past July, my garden was a mess. I personally experienced the frustration of things we’d intentionally planted being choked out by everything else that just grew up on its own. And honestly, my out-of-control garden became a fitting picture of my entire life- It was all just too much. Too much stuff, too many commitments, too many voices, too many newsfeeds.. too many desserts. An ill-managed life. So, ever sense I have been all about weeding- uprooting that which doesn’t really matter in order to give space and nourishment to what matters most.
And that, my friends, is going to be our emphasis during the season of Lent. We’re going to pull the weeds, clear the clutter, and then have the brainspace to ask ourselves some important questions, all in an effort to prepare the soil of our hearts for the best news that we will celebrate 7 weeks from now. Beginning this Wednesday and then each Sunday until Easter, we’ll be posting a video that focuses our attention on one particular aspect of following Jesus. The videos are intended for teenagers and adults, single or married. But since I began thinking about this for our family and we already have a rhythm of more daily devotions, the videos will also include elements that I’ll use with my 2 and 4 year olds throughout the week, like songs, Bible stories, activities, and a verse or passage to memorize. And if you are planning on going through this with your own kids, I’ve recently discovered this picture book on Lent that I’m LOVING and would highly recommend.
So, look for those videos, beginning this Wednesday, and I can’t wait to embark on this journey, together.
