Dear Friends,
This year, the month of March is mostly taken up with the season of Lent, the time of reflection, repentance, and preparation as the church moves toward the observance of the events of Holy Week. There’s a long history in the greater church of Lent being a time of elaborate and somewhat ostentatious display of repentance, sometimes to the point that the act of prayer becomes little more than showing off. One might think of the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying at the Temple (Luke 18:9-14).
In other circles Lent has been taken as an occasion for “giving up” something, possibly a favorite food or particular activity. This isn’t necessarily the worst thing, as long as the “giving up” becomes an occasion for reflection and maybe even prayer, rather than a slog to get to Easter Sunday without slipping up. Another stream suggests “taking up” some new activity or practice for the season; possibly a book to read and study or some biblical reading to study or complete during the season.
I might make a suggestion of a service to take up. If you haven’t served on a committee for this congregation for a while, find a committee to join. There are several committees that could stand to welcome some new blood, and the work of the church gets done more effectively with more hands doing the work. Find a committee that fits with your aptitudes and interests, and get involved, for Lent and beyond.
Charles