Lent is just over a week away (March 1 this year) and and I'm curious to hear what churches and individuals in the CRC are doing to mark this season.
Are you working through a good devotional? Do you plan to give something up? Or maybe start something new? Did you church start a new sermon series or is there a theme you are working around? What worship songs help you prepare?
Let's open up the discussion! I'll start us off by sharing my plans in the comments below.
In previous years I have given up various things (i.e. pop) for Lent but this year I am planning to finish reading through the Gospels (I'm currently in the middle of Luke). Lately I have been struck by how often Jesus talks about the importance of having faith. I'm going to be looking for specific ways this season to 'increase' my faith, maybe through bold giving or by listening more closely to the Spirit's leading. To do this, I'm hoping to be still more often (less media, tv, distractions).
Instead of only giving up something this year, I decided to be express my urgency for faith by creating art installations every week for Lent. The culmination of it all is this Good (I hate calling it that!) Friday. I'm working on this piece right now and just the planning stage makes me want to give it all up. I don't mean that for real, but it's hard to bridge these tensions. What tensions? The question of 'who' did Jesus die for? The answer, 'all of us'. I'm working on expressing how that 'all of us' looks. I'll post a pic after Friday. In the mean time, here is what one of the other installations was. Praying ain't perfect.