Hello Church,

This is your worship director, Jon Roe, and our Elder & Minister Team has graciously asked me to share some thoughts as we move into the season of Lent which starts with Ash Wednesday this week. Over my years at New Life, I’ve grown in my conviction that shared rhythms of worship can shape us for lifelong discipleship. One of the rhythms we have found meaningful and continue to practice is to walk through the season of Lent as a church, alongside many other churches who have this as a worship practice.

So what is Lent? Isn’t it that time when people just fast, give up chocolate, or not eat certain things? Well, yes… and no. Let’s first talk about what Lent is. It’s simply a time for us to refocus our walk with Jesus by committing to daily repentance of our sin and to consider anew his sacrifice on the cross. This is the basis of our faith, so it’s important as a church that we return to the start and let the Truth of the work of the cross grow deeper into our hearts and minds. 

Now let’s talk about fasting! According to the dictionary, fasting is abstaining from food or drink, especially as a religious observance… but it’s really more than that. It’s us choosing to abstain from the things that we go to for our own comfort and then choosing to go to Christ instead. Fasting is the practice of being reliant on the Lord for our strength and provision. Maybe that could be giving up food, or maybe it’s time to think outside the box. I’ve done different Lenten fasts that included giving up food, social media for a season, podcasts, my phone at certain times of the day, or alcohol. What I want to encourage you all to do, is to really think about the thing that you go to for comfort and see if the Holy Spirit might be asking you to give it up for a season, so that you might have a new glimpse into how Jesus gave up everything for you!

As I conclude, I want to invite you to join us for our Ash Wednesday service this Wednesday at 6:00PM. It’s an experiential service to set our hearts and minds on the coming season of Lent but most importantly, it is an opportunity to “repent and believe the Gospel.”

Jon Roe