Preparation

How is it that I am always preparing for something—the holidays, doing taxes (ugh), planning a big 50th birthday for a family member, and, oh yes, a marriage. These all take time, planning, and commitment. As I look at the calendar, I notice another time of preparation coming, Lent. How do we prepare for Lent as individuals and the church?

The United Methodist Conference describes Lent as a “journey of preparation for following the way of Jesus.” This time comes with repenting, fasting, examining our relationship with God and with one another as we work to discover how we are growing into Christlikeness.

Last year I “sacrificed” Facebook and games on my phone for Lent. I determined I would use the saved time to immerse myself in prayer and Bible study, more than the thirty or so minutes I had been taking. I was surprised when I realized that at times, I had been engaged in these activities for over two hours. Looking at my journal entries, I discovered I was uncovering areas in my life that needed work.

It was my reading of two Psalms that led me to this place. The first was Psalm 51, where I read:

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin! (1-2 NET).

Honest reflection for me as well as David! Yet once I realized what needed changing, I was humbled by the great love God pours out on me and that led to a desire to be “joyfully obedient” to his direction for my life.

The second was Psalm 63. As a response to Psalm 51’s message, these passages screamed into my ears:

“My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you…Because experiencing your loyal love is better than life itself, my lips will praise you.” (1, 3 NET).

I began to make these two Psalms my daily prayers. That Lent became one of the most intense times of preparation ever.

As United Methodists, we are encouraged to participate in the means of grace, which include fasting, reading scripture, and praying. Our church will again be holding prayer vigils and walks each Saturday during the Lenten season. As we pray for our church and ourselves, may we remember these words from John Wesley, “Proceed with much prayer, and your way will be made plain.” There are many areas of our church life that require preparation: things like small group formation, partnership with the Navajo through Pure Water Ministries, ministering and witnessing to our community, meeting the needs of our neighbors through the Food Pantry, growing the youth ministry, praying for discernment as we approach the ’24 General Conference. Confident that God works among us, I am encouraged by the words of Psalm 66: 19 (NET), “But truly God has listened; he has attended [our] prayer.”

With the desire that our church fulfills the role God has planned for us at First UMC Fox Hill, I encourage all of you not only to find a personal time of prayer but also to join with your church family in prayer, to listen for God’s voice as he listens to ours, so that once again, we may be prepared for the work ahead. I invite you to join the prayer walks and vigils and set aside a time for personal prayer, as together we seek God’s will for us this year.