We are midway through the season of Lent. Each year I commit to giving something up, as well as taking on a new spiritual discipline. Often, I spend these 6 ½ weeks in prayer, sometimes by reading the Psalms, and others creating or reading a different prayer each day. I try to pray without ceasing as our founder John Wesley encouraged us to do.
The people, places and events we lift up in prayer can seem overwhelming at times. Crises happen daily. Celebrations are just as frequent. Because someone out there keeps track of these numbers: worldwide, there are approximately 15,000 new lives and 6,400 deaths each hour (http://www.ecology.com/birth-death-rates/). Praying over these 21,000 souls individually could take a lifetime. And yet, how spiritually fulfilling would it be to take time to pray for someone who is beginning or ending their life journey in this moment.
We are encouraged to spend this season of our Christian year praying about how our Lord’s salvific acts have transformed and are transforming our lives. During the rest of Lent, I encourage you to spend time in the Gospels reliving and remembering some of Jesus’ miracles. Reflect upon the ways our Savior gave new life and new meaning to those whose sins were forgiven. Named and unnamed persons in each of the 4 Gospels were touched and made whole by Jesus’ words and actions. Consider Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman at the well, 10 lepers, feeding thousands with just five fish and two loaves, or the raising of Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter. Contemplate what the Lord has done for your life as well. Each of us has been touched by our Lord, shaped by our Lord and called by our Lord to continue His work in the world. What is your story of Jesus’ saving acts for your life, and how will you express their meaning for you and others during this time of Lent? And Amen.