Messy Church is this Wednesday, March 8 at 5pm. Our theme this month is Lent.

Lent is our faith journey toward Easter.

We begin the journey on Ash Wednesday with the sign of ashes, an ancient sign. It is a solemn journey that last 40 days (Sundays are not considered part of the 40 days). When Jesus was Baptized by John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit descended on him, he went into the wilderness to fast, to pray and to prepare himself for the ministry that he had been sent to do. 40 days later he emerged and began his work. Just as Jesus prepared, Lent is our time of preparation.The last week of Lent we follow the path that Christ took beginning with Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the last supper on Maundy

Thursday, the desolation of crucifixion on Good Friday and then the joy of Easter, God’s triumph of the Resurrection.

During Lent we are asked to journey into spiritual renewal. We are asked to leave behind the things that drive a wedge between us and God, between us and others. We are asked to leave behind a way of being that leaves us less then we were created to be, a way that has grown comfortable and familiar. A way of being that allows us to close our eyes to injustice and to wear the mantle of power and wealth (we must remember that compared to most of the world, we are wealthy and we have power) free of the discomfort of guilt and remorse. Ours is a wilderness of self- examination, guided by prayer, sustained through scripture, our progress marked by acts of kindness and caring.

For some it the custom to give up something for Lent, a discipline of self-denial. This can be one way of journeying in Lent. I would suggest that one can also journey by taking on a discipline, perhaps focusing on doing an act of kindness each day, or setting aside time to be with God in prayer or coming to Church every Sunday in Lent.

The journey of Len is a journey into the wilderness, a wilderness of the unfamiliar and the unknown. A place where we can discover who we truly are. A place where we can allow ourselves to be the person that God created us to be, a place of renewal. In Lent we are invited to join Jesus in the wilderness for a period of discernment. During these forty days, listen for God’s calling, acknowledge your own failings, name your temptations, and challenge your wild beasts. But also, look for the hand of God that sustains you, comforts you, strengthens you.

May your Lenten journey of reflection contain challenges, newly discovered truths and life altering surprises that will help you to grow in faith.