After nearly a full year of pandemic and isolation, the great events of the Christian calendar call the Church to new levels of committed and creative ministry. The changes faced as we sheltered in place opened up new avenues of outreach via technology, made clear the gaps that type of outreach produced, and clarified the hunger we as beings of social connection can feel.
As we step into the week of Ash Wednesday - that time of repentance and intentional spiritual growth - vaccines are on the horizon, new ideas are allowing vastly separated people to come together to learn, worship, and connect.
The UMC offers some 10 ideas in celebrating Lent at this page.
At home family crafts help make the meaning of Lent become visual.(here) Additional home and family activities can be found at this page.
Use this Lenten season to intentionally "reconnect" using some old school methods:
Phone trees to bring a short word of hope and care to those isolated due to age, health, or other concerns.
A short, cheerful, and news filled letter to church friends and members. Newsletters need be only 1 page long and have all the news, hope, and connection as a longer one.
Establish a church wide "pray-in-place" where no matter where people are they will know that at the same time they join with so many others to pray. Noon is a good choice for this. Pray the Lord's Prayer or some other short prayer adding your voice to others in common purpose.
We can empathize with the Groundhog who crawls out of his warm den and sees his shadow or does not see his shadow. The last months have been for some like living in a burrow underground, isolate, alone, fearful, anxious, ill or otherwise oppressed. Now, as spring approaches (spiritually and metaphorically) let us crawl out and put on the clothes of hope, faith, and love.
Make this year's Lent a new kind of journey...let us achieve new levels of personal growth in faith and acts of love for others, and show clearly that the glory of the Resurrection Morning is a powerful force in a world beset by troubles.
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