Category Archives: Uncategorized

By the Thursday after the Third Sunday of Lent, we are well into what might be called the “ordinary middle” of the season. Ash Wednesday is a distant memory. The heroic Lenten resolutions we made with great confidence have settled into something more modest — which, if we are honest, may be closer to theContinue reading “When the Small Things Turn Out to Be the Important Ones”

By the Wednesday after the Third Sunday of Lent, something quietly important has happened. The enthusiasm of Ash Wednesday has worn off. The heroic intentions of the first week have softened slightly. The ambitious spiritual goals we wrote down — possibly in very neat handwriting — are now being carried along at a pace thatContinue reading “When the Journey Feels Longer Than Expected”

By the Tuesday after the Third Sunday of Lent, most of us are beginning to suspect that Lent is not merely a seasonal mood — it is a renovation project. And not the charming sort of renovation involving throw pillows and a fresh coat of paint. No. The Third Sunday often gives us one ofContinue reading “When Jesus Starts Rearranging the Furniture”

There is something deeply unsettling about the Third Sunday of Lent. By now we are well into the season. The enthusiasm of early Lent has been replaced by something more realistic. Our noble intentions have either settled into habit or quietly negotiated new terms. (“I did mean to give up sweets, but I did notContinue reading “When the Fig Tree Gets a Second Chance (And So Do We)”

There is something about the Second Sunday of Lent that feels less like poetry and more like commitment. Lent 1 let us admire the wilderness from a respectable distance. Lent 2, however, leans in a little closer and asks an uncomfortable question: Are you actually going somewhere, or are you simply attending religious events alongContinue reading “When the Road Gets Personal”

By Saturday, the week has taken its toll. Lent is not dramatic now. It is simply present. There is a temptation to evaluate. To measure. To grade our spiritual effort like a performance review. Fortunately, God does not appear to use spreadsheets. The covenant rests not on our perfection but on God’s faithfulness. Saturday invitesContinue reading “Resting in the Middle of the Climb”

Fridays in Lent are less about deprivation and more about clarity. When we lay something down — a habit, a comfort, a distraction — we discover what remains. Often, what remains is space. Space to pray without hurry. Space to listen without interruption. Space to love without calculation. Restraint is not misery. It is spaciousness.Continue reading “What We Lay Down Makes Room for Love”

There is something quietly heroic about persistence. Not dramatic heroism — no orchestral music required — but the steady refusal to turn back. The Christian life is less a sprint and more a long obedience in the same direction. It involves repetition. Returning. Continuing. Lent can feel repetitive. Pray again. Reflect again. Resist again. ForgiveContinue reading “The Long Obedience in the Same Direction”

There is a point in Lent when the layers begin to thin. We discover habits we did not notice. Attachments we assumed were harmless. Motivations that are less noble than advertised. Exposure is uncomfortable. We prefer spiritual sweaters — layered, soft, and forgiving. Lent gently removes them. But exposure is not humiliation. It is invitation.Continue reading “When Faith Feels Exposed”

Covenant is beautiful in theory. God promises. We nod appreciatively. Hope is born. And then — we wait. Abraham knew this rhythm. Promise given long before fulfilment. Stars counted before descendants arrived. Faith stretched across years that did not hurry. We are not particularly good at waiting. Modern life has trained us to expect immediateContinue reading “Waiting for Promises to Ripen”