.sharing reflections during Lent.

Today I wanted to share a beautiful post written by my good friend and fellow blogger, Lindsey.  The post's title sums it up pretty well: Observing Lent When the Ashes Fade.  She likens the Lent season to New Years' because, similar to resolutions, our observations of Lent can often begin with good intentions but fade as the 40 days continue.  I certainly understand this and know full well when I set out to start a good habit or let go of a bad one that I'll probably fail miserably.

But, I don't think Lent is supposed to be a game to figure out whether our spiritual discipline wins over our flesh; instead, each moment we think about those habits we're forming or giving up, they're meant to remind us of Jesus in the wilderness, tempted by Satan and spiritually preparing for death.

Lindsey's post also reminded me that Christians who might have grown up with Easter their entire lives can often lose their enthusiasm for the season, or this time can seem 'stale.'  Sometimes we just need a renewed spirit to prepare.  Lindsey reminded me of my own renewal last year (I shared this story with her in the comments).

A few days before Easter my husband and I watched  The Passion (I’ve watched it a couple times now and I just can’t get past the rawness of it; the sight of blood in that way makes me nauseous, perhaps one reason I don’t watch it more). But as we watched it, and cried, and reacted to it, I gained a new excitement for Easter Sunday. I couldn’t wait to be in church singing hymns, sharing communion, and rejoicing that Christ lives! It was an amazing experience and I felt like after watching the film a few days before Easter I was better able to partake in the excitement, reminded what all the excitement was really for (something we can often forget as children caught up in the pastels of eggs, baskets, and new Sunday outfits).

As Christians, we sometimes need reminders of the amazing thing Jesus did for us. Even though the film has its flaws, it reminded me of his awesome act of LOVE (I quite literally feel like I’m in a ‘wilderness’ while watching it). This year, I’m sure things will be different because we don’t have a church we’re attending right now…instead, we’ve been getting up Sundays and reading from the Bible, from Take This Bread, or listening to sermons by Barbara Brown Taylor (I’m reading one of her books, Speaking of Sin, for Lent).  But even if this year is different I will always remember that sense of awe from last year, swaying in the Episcopal church, tearing up, and feeling genuinely excited and amazed.

Thanks to my friend, Lindsey for writing this post and for reminding me of that renewal we need and long for in this Lent/Easter season.  Lindsey has decided to write a post each Monday of Lent and I'll definitely be tuning in.  You can access her blog, Negotiating With Chaos, here. 

image from here.