Lent: Exhaling Hurry, Inhaling Grace

Last week, I talked about a growing community of friends who will be joining Gem and me for An Unhurried Lent. We’ll begin three weeks from today on March 6, Ash Wednesday.

So, again, why Lent? What’s the big deal? Some resist practices like Lent and other similar ones for fear that we’ll think we’re earning something from God rather than continuing to acknowledge that our salvation is rooted in freely-given grace and not in our own works of earning favor.

Spiritual practices like Lent and other practices of abstaining from something aren’t about earning favor, but actually making space in our lives to actually receive the free grace God is always extending.

Grace is not mainly about a moment of salvation in the past with mostly eternal implications. Grace is about living in the empowering presence of God that is freely and confidently available to us in every moment.

In this Lent, we invite you to join us to pay attention to the ways your soul becomes hurried and, therefore, ceases to be in the moment. In our inward hurry, we attempt the impossible. We try to live in the future. We try to be in a time other than the present moment where we actually are and where God is actually present to us.

We’ll learn together to exhale soul hurry that shows up in us as impatience, unkindness, self-promotion, anxiety, efficiency-addiction and so on. We’ll learn to breathe in the patient kindness of God, the humble, peaceful presence of God, the generous abundance God is always providing.

Gem and I spoke about this in this week’s podcast episode, “Preparing for An Unhurried Lent.” If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to what we envision for this year’s observance of Lent.

If you’d like to join us, here’s what you can do:

• Purchase a copy of Inhaling Grace. (If you’d like to purchase five or more copies for a group going through An Unhurried Lent together, visit our website).
• Download the free reading guide for An Unhurried Lent.
• Come join about 100 others already in our Unhurried Lent Facebook Group.
• Forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues. Or share Unhurried Lent on your social media platforms. Perhaps they would like to join you!

I’m praying that you’ll sense the invitation to live more unhurried in the weeks leading to Easter. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue living under the apprenticeship of an unhurried Savior.

For Reflection:

• What are your thoughts, if any, about Lent this year? Are you drawn to offer God the gift of some little “No” so that you can offer a bigger and more hearty “Yes” to him?
• Does An Unhurried Lent draw you? Are you drawn in some other direction this year?
• Talk with God about these things.

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash