Both pictures were snapped from my kitchen about thirty minutes apart this morning.
The church sits on the hilltop behind our house. Mount Tabor Baptist Church is the oldest church in our county (established in 1798).
This isn't where I attend church, but I do love watching it. I've never stepped foot in the doorway, but seeing it makes me feel at home.
Watching the weather conditions change so drastically made me think about the start of Lent.
Lent is a lot like a snow day.
Snow days are a disruption.
A break from of our normal routines, schedules, and habits.
It may be an interruption to our relationships, desires, and comforts.
Things get put on hold.
Wants and needs are reorganized due to a change in focus.
Don't believe me?
Check your Facebook feed on a day it snows.
There's definitely a change in what is important to people.
Personally, we ran out of coffee and creamer. Coffee is considered a necessity in the Ball household. Yet, with a fresh couple of inches of snow and a deeper level of concern for safety, I will not drive two miles to Walmart. (Snowmageddon is a real thing! I might try to make Lacey walk.)
Snow days are both a welcomed and unwelcomed disruption.
Lent is no different. (Ironically, many churches have cancelled their Ash Wednesday services due to snow. Talk about a disruption.)
Sure, many Christians don't observe Lent and that's okay. There's no scriptural mandate to do so.
However, Lent is a disruption that challenges our normal routines, schedules, habits, relationships, desires, and comforts. This can be beautiful when it causes us to refocus on Jesus.
The words of the writer of Hebrews speaks loudly to this:
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
Question:
Are you observing Lent this year?
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