Matthew 3:16 NLT

'After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.'

While presented as something of a drab period, Lent can be a critical time for personal preparation. Following his amazing conversion, Paul describes how he spent three years preparing for ministry. Such preparation is not to achieve some certification such as a degree. This is a preparation of the heart and building of a friendship with the divine. I make a residential retreat for a few days every year as my opportunity to renew my faith, deepen my friendship with God and consider where I have been and where God is calling me.

Shrove Tuesday is something of a celebration; traditionally, pancakes are made. While we may imagine Lent as a time of fasting and going without, it is to be celebrated since we are setting out on a journey to discover new things from God, and we are making our way to both cross and resurrection. The pancakes symbolically use up all the dairy, fats and butter in our larders as we enter the Lenten fast, which lasts until Holy Saturday. In reality, Lent does not include the Sundays through this period, for fasting wasn’t encouraged on the day that Christians celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Hence, Lent is actually 47 days in length.

Even the pancakes were a sign of Christ at work with the eggs representing creation, flour the bread of life, salt the life of God in the earth and milk, purity of life. So in a broader way, today can serve as an opportunity to identify and set aside what might be normal distractions so that we can create an additional space for God each day of Lent. Many people choose to fast, but this is not an opportunity to introduce a diet you’ve promised yourself. Fasting food is one way, but we have to follow a pretty strict diet with Jayne’s health demands so we fast something like TV.

QUESTION: What change might you make to give greater opportunity to build your friendship with God during Lent?

PRAYER: Lord, may this season of Lent be a time where your people (myself included) are changed and prepared to follow your Son.