Welcome!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.    — Matthew 5:6

“We live in a full society, a full age.  Compared to almost any other period in history, we lack seemingly for nothing, yet spiritually we are more dull than ever before…”¹    — Dean Briggs

We live in a society that goes full-speed 24/7. Our expectations are high and our patience low. We can always find something to entertain, excite, or amuse. But do we perhaps have too much? Are we too full of the world?

This Lent, we will take a prayerful look at our lives. How full are our spiritual plates? Are our lives overflowing yet we feel unfulfilled? Does God feel far away? Maybe we are so busy we have not even noticed something is missing.

Lent is a 40-day season (46 with Sundays) where we slow down and take a look at ourselves—where we are faithful and where we have strayed—and repent for our sin and recommit to the narrow path. It is not the only time we repent, of course, but during Lent we take a more thorough inventory.

The word “repentance” in Greek has a two-fold meaning—to change our minds, and to allow ourselves to be turned around. Our responsibility is to recognize our sin and come before God and confess. Then we allow Him to turn us around so we are back on His path, obeying His will.

So for 40 days, we are going to slow down and ask ourselves important  questions: Are our plates full of things that spiritually nourish us or is there a lot of junk? Are we able to see our lives through the lens of faith or are our lives so full of distractions we cannot even focus on God? How can we get back on the right track?

We also will pray each day for a business, school, church, or public figure in Cedarville. This is a way we can bless others in our village. Everyone can always use prayer, but some people are under extra stress due to the pandemic. Tomorrow I will post examples of how to pray from scripture. On Ash Wednesday, I will post the introduction to Section 1 and the first Lenten devotional.

I am looking forward to traveling with you on this journey as we all seek to grow deeper in our faith.

Anne

¹Briggs, Dean. Consumed: 40 Days of Fasting, Repentance & Rebirth (p. 8). Champion Press. Kindle Edition.