Simplicity

The season of Lent begins today. Whether you grew up observing Lent or this tradition is new to you, we invite you to journey with us through this special season. We have designed an experiential guide to be used throughout this season, complete with creative fasts and daily readings and prayers. Our hope is that you will authentically participate with us in these spiritual exercises, and that—by God's grace and enablement—we will together experience a renewal of vibrancy, life, passion, and vision in our walk with God. 

As we set out on our Lenten journey, we invite you to participate with us in tonight's Ash Wednesday service. Please join us at 6:30pm in the Worship Center as we reflect upon our mortality, confess our need of repentance, and pray for God’s grace to be actively at work in our lives. (Our regularly scheduled men’s and women’s groups will meet from 7:00-8:00pm.)

Below you'll find information about the weekly fast and the reading for today. If you would like to download the guide through this first week of Lent, click here. 


FAST FOR THE WEEK: TREATS & SELF INDULGENCE
Throughout the remainder of this week, resolve to spend nothing on yourself but what is absolutely necessary. Buy no new clothes or gadgets, books or music, don’t go to the movies or buy coffee or candy. Eat cheaply, save money (or give what you would have spent on coffee, treats, entertainment for the week to our benevolence offering). Keep journal entries of what happens inside when you deny yourself something you’ve become accustomed to or something you really want. How does it affect you? Why?


PASSAGE FOR THE DAY
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:19-34, NIV)


REFLECTION QUESTIONS AND PRAYER
Consider: In what ways have the things you own ended up owning you? Where could you simplify if you only had the will to do so? What are we really saying to God when we place such an importance on things? When we worry? 

Pray: That your worry would melt into trust, that your desire for things would be redirected into a desire for God and his kingdom.