Lent – The Spring Season
Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday, and I spent the day dreaming of the delicious toppings that awaited my palate later that evening. The classic lemon and sugar pancake, mmm. Maybe a blueberry and whipped cream combo. Or a banoffee pie flavour pancake. But come evening, when I started to make the pancake batter, I discovered there was no milk in the fridge! In all the dreaming of delicious toppings, I’d forgotten to get one of the essential ingredients needed to make pancakes!
The word Lent comes from the Old English word lencten, meaning “spring season”. Spring is a season of growth for nature. Spring flowers are beginning to open. Trees will soon be growing new leaves and blossoming into life, getting ready to bear fruit at the end of summer. In a recent sermon, I reflected on the words Jesus spoke during the spring season: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” Jesus calls us to be deeply rooted in him, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, so that we can be fruitful disciples.
Fruitfulness can look like serving others with the character of Christ. Fruitfulness can look like doing the best we can in our everyday tasks. Fruitfulness can look like showing the love of God to those around us, on our frontlines and in our neighbourhoods. Fruitfulness can look like making a positive impact on the culture of our workplaces. Fruitfulness can look like speaking up for truth and justice when it is most needed. Fruitfulness can look like sharing the good news about Jesus with those we know.
Whatever fruitfulness looks like in our daily lives, it is underpinned by our relationship with Jesus. So, at the start of this spring season of Lent, I invite you to invest some time talking with Jesus, asking him to help you become more deeply rooted in his life-giving Spirit, so that you can grow in partnership with the Lord and bear much fruit as a disciple of Jesus, bringing glory to God our Father. If you’d like someone to pray this with you, then please contact me.
You may also find one of these lent resources helpful:
- The Confidence Devotional Journey, by LICC, which is aimed at helping you grow deep faith-confidence that lasts from Sunday into the rest of your week, so you can boldly join in God’s work right where you are – sign up for daily emails or access the plan on YouVersion.
- Light the Fire Again, by Wildfires, which encourages you to look back at what God has done in the past, look outwards at the needs of our world, and look upwards to the Lord in prayer – download the free e-book.
Blessings
Pete
(Images by Михаил Павленко, Stephanie Klepacki and Ollie Hoolachan on Unsplash)