I get it. We’re very busy. Good intentions get squeezed out by urgent deadlines and demands.  But here’s a time-tested way to push back the busy long enough to experience something profound.
It’s called Lent.

Lent is the season before Easter when followers of Jesus have chosen to focus on preparing their hearts, minds, and lives for the celebration of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Wait, wait, wait!  Before you check out, you may be asking, “Why bother?”  You might feel like you’re too busy to bother.  And that’s exactly the point.

We can be so busy, so distracted, so caught up in all the activities and anxieties of life that we miss out on the power of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  We can be so busy arranging the dishes on the table that we never sit down and enjoy the meal.  We can inadvertently crowd God right out of our lives.

Lent is a chance to create a little bit of room.  You probably can’t drop everything for 40 days and get alone with God.  But you probably CAN drop SOMETHING and squeeze God into that part of your life.

• Some people choose to drop certain types of food/beverage, and use the absence of that substance to direct their hearts and minds toward God.
• Some people choose to drop entertainment (like social media or TV) and use that time to squeeze in conversations with God.
• Some people choose to drop conveniences and/or luxuries in order to squeeze God into those spaces.

This year I’m encouraging our entire church to drop something out of their calendar and squeeze in a few minutes to read and reflect on God’s words to us.  We’ll use a plan developed by N.T. Wright, called “Lent for Everyone.”  It’s available online, and thru the YouVersion Bible app on your Apple or Android device.

The plan begins next Wednesday, March 1^st, which is Ash Wednesday.  Take some time today or tomorrow to locate the plan on your phone or computer.  Then be sure to join our Seneca Creek Bible reading group on Facebook.  It’s a great way to share your thoughts, questions, and more as you squeeze God into that space in your life.

I hope you’ll join us on this powerful journey with God.

-Pastor Mark