Time is a funny thing. It may be one of the few, never changing, constants in this world. But, for some unknown reason a never changing, set length of time, for example an hour, can seem like
a minute when catching up with an old friend, or a year when running on the treadmill. No matter if we experience a set period of time as a minute or a year the clock still keeps ticking and time still keeps passing us by.
Every year I feel as though Lent creeps up on me like a thief in the night. And, every year I find my- self scrambling to discern what it is I will give up or take on for the 40 days and 40 nights of allotted time for sobering reflection and awareness. It al- ways seems to be the longest and shortest time of the year. Long, for it feels like decades until I can indulge in chocolate, shopping, or a glass of wine again (various items which I have purged during the Lenten season). And short, for it seems that those things I intend to do, or to take on, pass me by day after day. Until, I find myself at Easter wondering if I had truly used the time I had been given to contemplate what it means to be a Chris- tian, what it means that God had to come down to this earth suffer and die so that we could once again live as His beloved children, walking with Him in an eternal journey of love and companion- ship.
This year is different in the sense that I will be giv- ing up, or taking on, a Lenten discipline within my Resurrection House community. Being held ac- countable for my disciplines within the time of Lent will be a completely new experience for me. I am interested to see what it will look like not only to hold myself accountable in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of my two housemates. The time of Lent, I am certain, will pass by as it has in years before, but I hope this time will be different. With the opportunity to contemplate the meaning of Lent within community, as we take on a Lenten discipline together, it is my hope that this experi- ence will bring me to Easter with new insight and knowledge. That I will come upon Easter Sunday knowing that I, and my community, used the time of Lent to the best of our ability, coming to a better understanding and knowledge of God, Christ’s ul- timate sacrifice and free gift, as well as the power of the Holy Spirit within our world.
a minute when catching up with an old friend, or a year when running on the treadmill. No matter if we experience a set period of time as a minute or a year the clock still keeps ticking and time still keeps passing us by.
Every year I feel as though Lent creeps up on me like a thief in the night. And, every year I find my- self scrambling to discern what it is I will give up or take on for the 40 days and 40 nights of allotted time for sobering reflection and awareness. It al- ways seems to be the longest and shortest time of the year. Long, for it feels like decades until I can indulge in chocolate, shopping, or a glass of wine again (various items which I have purged during the Lenten season). And short, for it seems that those things I intend to do, or to take on, pass me by day after day. Until, I find myself at Easter wondering if I had truly used the time I had been given to contemplate what it means to be a Chris- tian, what it means that God had to come down to this earth suffer and die so that we could once again live as His beloved children, walking with Him in an eternal journey of love and companion- ship.
This year is different in the sense that I will be giv- ing up, or taking on, a Lenten discipline within my Resurrection House community. Being held ac- countable for my disciplines within the time of Lent will be a completely new experience for me. I am interested to see what it will look like not only to hold myself accountable in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of my two housemates. The time of Lent, I am certain, will pass by as it has in years before, but I hope this time will be different. With the opportunity to contemplate the meaning of Lent within community, as we take on a Lenten discipline together, it is my hope that this experi- ence will bring me to Easter with new insight and knowledge. That I will come upon Easter Sunday knowing that I, and my community, used the time of Lent to the best of our ability, coming to a better understanding and knowledge of God, Christ’s ul- timate sacrifice and free gift, as well as the power of the Holy Spirit within our world.
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