March 2025

March winds, and all that! The march of time continues with new challenges, new difficulties, and new blessings. We will be moving through Lent, a time for reflection on our spiritual state. We were approached by the pastor of the Yorkville United Methodist Church, Pastor Jim, about sharing some of the services of that season. We will be doing that, so please pay attention to announcements as we continue to develop plans. We will be looking at Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Some other faith traditions ask adherents to give up something important to them for Lent, with the idea that the time would have been spent doing that activity would, during Lent, be spent in prayer and personal reflection. So, no, giving up chocolate for Lent isn't the idea. Now, if you were to choose to do something like this, you might give up lunch, or watching the evening news - spending that time considering how you can better show God's love.

Personally, I think that while this might be a helpful exercise, it often is something we might begin, but then become distracted and fail to follow through on, so I think it better to instead perhaps set aside a bit of time to consider some new activity that dispenses God's grace the way Jesus did - maybe committing to be more friendly while shopping, helping wherever you encounter someone in need of assistance.

Perhaps in this manner, we can take the lions of March's winds and turn them into the lambs of Jesus' love and grace!

Blessings!