Fill Your Body and Soul for Lent
Vista Ridge United Methodist Church
What is Lent and why is it important to me?
Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the 40 days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
During Lent, we enter into a season of preparation, self-reflection and repentance when we seek to literally “turn around” and realign our lives and focus toward God. It is a time to give up things as well as take on new, life-giving practices, helping us rid ourselves of distractions and our own selfish desires. By doing so, we seek to live and love as more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
Nine Ways to Remember the Holy in the Midst of Our Routines
1. WORSHIP
Ensure time for weekly worship with your community of believers to thank God for His love, ask for forgiveness for your sins and try to understand what God wants from you. It’s a time for prayer, singing, confession, a sermon and opportunities to go forth and serve.
Acting Your Faith: Worship with your faith community at Vista Ridge UMC.
- Ash Wednesday Service—Wednesday, March 6, 7 p.m.
- Palm/Passion Sunday—Sunday, April 14, 8:30 and 11 a.m.
- Maundy Thursday—Thursday, April 18, 7 p.m.
- Good Friday Service of the Cross—Friday, April 19, 6:30 a.m.
- Easter Sunday Worship—Sunday, April 21, 8:30 and 11 a.m.
2. SERVE
During Lent, we remember that we are part of the entire human family, making it a great time to serve others. Choose to join a group and serve together, or use some of your time to do something personal for someone you know. See if you can serve a meal during your lunch hour, or take a personal day to volunteer with a nonprofit organization. You could also mow a neighbor’s lawn or help with a trip to the grocery store.
Acting Your Faith: Serve one (or more) of our community partners.
- Christian Community Action Food Pantry ● 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month
Contact: Marie Conrath-Bates, marie.conrath@gmail.com - The Salvation Army ● Love Thy Neighbor Clothes Closet, front desk, food pantry, lunch program clean up
Contact: Ginny Marshall, vmarsh42@yahoo.com - Rockbrook Elementary ● mentor, read to students, assist teachers, cafeteria help, teacher appreciation, note writer
Contact: Martha Chiles, marthachiles@att.net - Vista Ridge Nursing and Rehab/Arbor House (Traveling Ministry) ● worship assistant, song leader, greeter
Contact: Pam Gowens, gowensp626@gmail.com
3. GIVE
Give to your church and organizations that serve others. Ensure that your giving continues even when you have to miss church. Your generosity can also be creative. Leave your server an above-and-beyond tip—maybe a 100% gratuity. Buy the coffee for the person behind you in line. Find ways to bless others with that which God entrusts you.
Acting Your Faith:
- Sign up for ACH giving through Bookkeeper Carolyn Dennison, carolyn@vrumc.org.
- Participate in our monthly communion offering.
- Donate to support our communitywide Easter Eggstravaganza.
4. PRAY YOUR DAY
Rather than setting aside special time for prayer, pray your day. Pray for the drivers of the vehicles with whom you share your commute. Pray as you pass the hospital, police station, and government offices. Lift up the trash collector and the mail carrier. Pray as you write a letter, email, or Facebook post. Offer sentence prayers throughout the day thanking God. (See Personal Breath Prayer below.)
Acting Your Faith: Pray for the concerns of your church family listed in the bulletin and sent by email.
5. ABSTAIN/FAST
“Giving something up for Lent” is a common practice for many Christians. Often, we give up a favorite food or try to kick a bad habit during Lent. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is when this begins, but don't confine yourself to food or habits. Can you abstain from gossip or complaining? What about defensive attitudes, fear, or anxiety? You probably won’t be perfect at this, but being mindful of times when these attitudes begin to take hold of your day can lead you to prayer.
6. MAKE SOMETHING
Some of us reflect and pray best when our hands are busy. Get back in the workshop and spend time cutting, sanding, and gluing. Sit at a piano and let the music flow. Make a special recipe in the kitchen. Take out the paints, glue, clay, and other supplies to create a work of art. As you create, be mindful of our Creator who longs to be in a relationship with you.
Acting Your Faith: Make a breakfast item for our Rockbrook Elementary and Discovery Preschool teachers to welcome them back from spring break on Monday, March 18. Contact: Martha Chiles, marthachiles@att.net
7. BE STILL
Others find meaning in stillness. Sit or lie still for 5 minutes and focus on your breathing. Try a practice like centering prayer by lighting a candle and pausing before the presence of God. Take a yoga class or enjoy a cup of coffee outside on your patio. Listen for the crackling wick, the wind, the birds, and the voice of God.
8. CLEAN SOMETHING
Lent is a good time to do some spring cleaning. Cleaning and organizing your home or work area can help give you inner peace. As you remove things you no longer need and reorder those you do, be mindful of the ways God “cleans” us. As we get things in order, we remember that Jesus gave his life so that we might be free from our sins and know new life.
Acting Your Faith: Participate in one of the following initiatives to support The Salvation Army in Lewisville.
(1) 40 Days — 40 Items ● Each day remove one item from your closet that you no longer wear or need and put it into a trash bag. Bring the filled bag to the church between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday, April 20, during Easter Eggstravaganza to be donated to The Salvation Army.
(2) Out with the Old, In with the New ● Clean your closet and bring unwanted items to the church using the following schedule.
- Gently used jeans/pants/shirts (March 10 and 17)
- New socks/underwear (March 24 and 31)
- Macaroni and cheese and peanut butter (April 7 and 14)
9. FORGIVE AND SEEK FORGIVENESS
As we pray for God’s grace, we should also seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. Lent is a great time to go to those you have hurt. Lent is also a wonderful time to forgive someone. If appropriate, let the person know you forgive him or her. Remember, however, that forgiveness has much more to do about us than the one who offended us.
Adapted from an article by Joe Lovino at UMC.org.
A Personal Breath Prayer
First: Think of your favorite name for God right now. Is it “God,” “Lord,” “Father,” “Light,” “Jesus,” “Spirit,” etc.?
Second: Picture God standing before you and asking you, “What do you want?”
Third: Using your own answer to God’s question, fashion a phrase that sounds just right to you. Example: If your answer was “God, I want you to be with me,” then your phrase might be “Be with me.”
If your answer was “God, I want to feel calm,” then your phrase might be “Let me feel your calm.”
Suppose you want something specific like “God, I want you to heal my leg.” Then you need to push that a step further by asking yourself, “And what would that be like if my leg were healed?” Your answer might be “I’d feel so grateful.” Since your Breath Prayer needs to center on your inner attitude more than on external results, your prayer might be, “Help me be grateful.”
Fourth: Take your favorite name for God right now and put it either before or after your phrase. For example, using the phrases in the examples of Step 3: “Lord, be with me.” “Let me feel your calm, O God.” “Father, help me to feel grateful.”
This is your personal Breath Prayer. You can use it whenever you want. Use it in moments of anxiety or pain. Use it in times of waiting or restlessness. Use it anytime you want to be closer to God.
Provided by HeartPaths DFW
Resource: The Breath of Life: Discovering Your Breath Prayer by Ron DelBene and Herb Montgomery
Watch for an all-church email on Tuesday from Pastor Mary Beth about her personal fast for Lent.
Vista Ridge United Methodist Church
Building life-giving relationships with God, with each other and with our community
Email: laurie@vrumc.org
Website: www.vistaridgeumc.org
Location: 2901 Denton Tap Road, Lewisville, TX, United States
Phone: 972.315.5225