Beloved in Christ,
Tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent. I wanted to start the season by encouraging you to take time to continue to prayerfully consider your Lenten fast. In church on Sunday, we talked about the following acronym:
Let go: prayerfully consider if there are any sins that the Lord is calling you to mortify.
Engage: prayerfully consider if there are any ways the Lord is calling you to grow.
New start: pray for revival and pray that it would start with you.
Think: reflect daily - are my Lenten disciplines being done in love? If not, be quick to repent.
Consider making this a center piece of your Lenten time.
I also want to encourage you to make time to come to one of our two Ash Wednesday services. This year we gathered Palms from the last year (or two) and burned them to make our ashes. As you all well know, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week as we march with Christ to the Cross. In using old Palms from previous Palm Sundays we are reminded that as we join with Christ in His death, so we join with him in his resurrection.
As we start our journey to this time of the year – Ash Wednesday provides us with a time to slow down, to be reminded of our own sin and mortality, and to renew our walk with Christ. The 45 minutes to an hour this Wednesday is time well spent.
It is my prayer that this Lenten season will be a season of resting and renewal in Christ.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
In Christ,
The Rev. Ian Emile Dunn
Rector, All Saints Anglican Church