At the Start

Is this the fast I choose?
Will I wake with the sun each morning?
Will I start with thank you?
Will I peel back the cage around my frame to let you in
or will I get too busy? Will my Bible collect dust on the shelf, along with my journal, along with my sense of self,
or will I roll back the stone and wade in?

Every new season beckons something of us—
attention, beauty, the chance to create.
This season is no different.
So, like moths to the light, will we find our way toward God, or will we hover, circling fake suns?

I am seeking something deeper.
I am kicking off my shoes.
I am starting this season on holy ground.

Poem by Rev. Sarah Speed

What do you seek?

Christians have a long tradition of embarking on a spiritual quest during Lent. The quest invites us to look with fresh eyes at our life and at the world, and to listen for the longing in our souls.

What is your quest this Lent? What is it you are seeking? Perhaps you seek clarity in the midst of a confusing, messy life situation. Perhaps you seek wisdom in the midst of a difficult or trying circumstance. Perhaps you seek love as you sit in the midst of despair, depression, or isolation. Perhaps you are seeking wholeness in the midst of a fractured and fragmented life.

Lent isn’t only about you though. Lent is about you and the world, about the intersection of you and the world, about where your passion meets the worlds need. So, this year for Lent, spend time considering your deep passion and the world’s deep need. Use the questions below as a guide for reflecting.

• What are you seeking? What does the world need?
• What is being revealed to you in the world and in your heart’s desire?
• What revelation are you seeking from God? And what might God be seeking for you?

These are the questions for these next few days. More questions will come. You don’t have to figure it all out right now. But get started thinking about it right now. By Sunday, try to have some kind of answer, however whole or incomplete it is. And remember: just because you answer it now doesn’t mean your answer cannot or will not change over the next few weeks. But at least give it a start right now. What are you seeking and what does the world need?