Entering the season of Lent

Kia ora e hoa ma,

I was at the gym the other day and I saw a message that said, "Stay hydrated." I felt like that was a perfect metaphor for the Lenten season that we are beginning. Lent is a season in the church calendar that urges us to recognise the state of our souls. Many of us, when we slow down enough or remove the props and comfort measures in our lives discover that our souls are seriously dehydrated. What if we use these next 40 days or so to re-hydrate? By disentangling ourselves from the constant stimulation of food and drink, media and noise, we may discover that there is a river of living water within us that is just waiting to be tapped into. We can drink deeply from the grace, love, and presence of God. Traditionally, Lent has been a time of prayer, fasting and giving to the poor (the three things that Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount - Matt 6:1-18). The goal, I think, is just to disengage where we have gotten tangled up and engage where we realise that we have been absent. There are no rules and no "ought to's." Jesus is not mad at us. He is not disappointed if we give it a go and fail. I think there is just an invitation to walk with Jesus in a more intentional way than perhaps we normally do. So drink deeply and stay hydrated.

Keep your eyes on Jesus,

Mark