An Invitation

And today, Shrove Tuesday, can be a day of feasting, and many think of the traditional pancake supper!  We fill up before we fast!!

One of the precious things about my own faith journey in the last few years is that I have paid more attention to the rhythms of the church calendar.  Anything can become rote or meaningless, but I have found that as I pay close attention to these cycles, I am also drawn to the life of Jesus, whom I desire to follow.

So my take on Lent is a little different this year, perhaps not that traditional, but I have also searched to find meaning in these weeks leading up to Easter.  

I thought about how we focus on words over the four weeks of Christmas… Hope, Peace, Joy and Love…and because I love to focus on words, thought about which words would draw me into this coming season of Lent – preparing my heart for Easter.

So it is about invitation, and using the words of Jesus, He is the One who calls, who invites.  Some of His first words in his ministry were “Come, follow me!”  

And then in His beautiful words in his sermon on the mount, He says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”    (Matthew 11:28)

So this God who loves, who became one of us in human flesh, invites us into relationship.  I always find this amazing.  Perhaps as we enter into this Lent season, instead of giving up something, we can focus on entering in, of accepting this invitation to relationship.

This is the gentle voice of the Shepherd, a picture Jesus uses to describe Himself, calling the sheep, wanting to care for them.  

So the first word I have chosen in these reflections is “Invitation”.  I want to enter into this faith journey in a deeper way in these next weeks.  And if you care to join me, I’d be delighted!