Leaping in Lent?

Have you ever wished there were things in your life that happened only every four years or not at all? I don’t have feelings like that about tomorrow’s “leap day” but it does give me a chance to reflect on that question.

Our sermon series for Lent is called, Cry of Our Hearts – part of our year-long theme, Words for Life. As I prepared for Lent the song by that name kept running through my head – “it is the cry of our hearts to follow you. It is the cry of our hearts to be close to you. It is the cry of our hearts to follow, all of the days of our lives.”

For this sermon series we’re going to look at pairs of related words from Scripture and our faith, like this Sunday’s (March 1) Sadness & Joy. Sadness is one of those things I wish happened every four years or not at all! I find, though, if my heart cries out to God in the midst of my sadness, God works on it, bringing me through it and into something new. Sometimes the sadness itself provides insights and gifts and an increased closeness to God, if I’m willing to stay in the sadness for just a bit, or even leap into it for a brief time.

During Lent we have a chance to leap into some things. We may wish that some of these things never happen, but they do. Lent gives chance to go to those crying places of our hearts – sadness, sorrow, guilt, sin, and see what God will do with those if we’re willing to step into them.

Other things we just get to try to during Lent. Lent Alive! may be one of those. During Lent we’ll have two services at 9:45 a.m. One is our usual 9:45 a.m. traditional service in the Sanctuary. Our other service is a modern service in Fellowship Hall called Lent Alive! This will be led by Pastor Stuart and our Praise Team and gives you a chance to try another kind of worship during Lent. The sermon will be taped at 8:15 a.m. (like it is for our Dove Mountain site) and shown in the 9:45 a.m. Lent Alive! service. At Lent Alive! you can experience worship in a warm and welcoming environment that is also less crowded that our 9:45 a.m. Sanctuary service. Come and try it out beginning this Sunday, March 1, 2020.

During Lent, the 11:15 a.m. Gathering service (our other modern service) will also be held in Fellowship hall.

So, leap into Lent with me and see what God will do with our sadness and joy and all the cries of our hearts.

Blessings, Sharon