Beginning Tomorrow!!!!

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Beginning Tomorrow!!!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Jeff Lampl

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"  Mark 1:35-37 (NIV)

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  Lent is a time for believers to get their hearts right with God.   Ash Wednesday begins a 40 day fast (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter.  The ashes symbolize humility and the 40 days recall Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism by his cousin, John.   It is a time of finding ways to remind ourselves that when we have God we have everything that we need.    It is recognizing the reality that it is easy to say, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need” (Psalm 23:1), but to actually believe that requires discovering that it is true in my personal experience.   That’s what the fast is about . . . . .relinquishing something in favor of time with God, who is in reality the wellspring of all of life.

Beginning tomorrow each of these blogs/reflections will be comprised of a “daily office”, a format of two minutes of silence, a Bible reading to reflect on, a devotional reading to contemplate, a question to consider, a prayer to pray, followed by two more minutes of silence.   The goal is to help you connect to God so that your days are lived out of your time with Him rather than just squeezing God into my own plans.

I will also provide weekly suggestions for how to practice Sabbath Keeping, ways to practice silence, stopping, delight and play in God’s good creation, rest, Bible reading and ways to celebrate the relationships that God has given you. 

It all begins tomorrow!   What will you need to replace in order to make space for the “daily office’, your daily times with God, and your weekly Sabbath?

Above all do not be legalistic!  Do not get stuck on length of time or even on a certain method.  Find your own way!   Use Lent 2015 as God’s gift to you.   Experiment.  In some way shape or form add a new connection to God that enriches you with God’s love, that increases your trust and dependence on Him and out of which you enter your days seeking to love others well as Christ would have you love them.

I’ll be praying for you.

In Christ, Pastor Jeff

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