Lent – get into yourself!
Posted on Mar 23, 2017 by Heather Lewis
I grew up going to church every Sunday with my family. My dad was in the Army, so as we moved every few years we usually attended the Protestant service on the military post. We called ourselves EpiscoMethoBapTerian, as every year we’d have a pastor from a different denomination – so I feel pretty comfortable in most church services.
As I began to study how to be a choir director in college, I was acutely aware of trying to stay awake during choir rehearsals in Lent, as most of the music was slow and sad! Because of that experience, I try very hard to keep the music uplifting as we journey toward Easter. Lent is celebrated so many different ways – sometimes it’s dark and somber, sometimes it’s loving and thoughtful. One of the things Pastor Dave and I try to accomplish in our services at Salem is to make the season of Lent a time of renewal, encouraging whatever form that takes for each member of our church family.
We focus on outreach at Salem, which is a wonderful, healthy way to serve each other and the community. Yet we do need to take time to renew and feed ourselves, which is something we really encourage during Lent. Is there something you used to take time to do for yourself that you miss? Try to intentionally make time for yourself during this next month, and do what makes you feel fed and fulfilled. You may surprise yourself by enriching your life with a new routine that extends beyond Lent, and helps you focus on being grateful for your many blessings.
In Christ’s love,
Heather Lewis