LENT: A CALL TO SIMPLICITY By Ann Hagmann

NO CHURCH SEASON is closer to my heart than Lent. Lent is derived from the Anglo Saxon word "lenctem," meaning "spring." The word reflects the lengthening of days as we move from winter towards summer. Lent is the 40 days (excluding Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Traditionally it has been a time of fasting commemorative of Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness following his baptism. Lent also recalls the 40 days that Elijah and Moses both spent with God, as well as the 40 years that Israel spent wandering in the desert.

Lent is the perfect season of the year for solitude and self-reflection. As we spiritually journey into the desert, Lent is a time to re-examine our boundary lines and get realigned, set in right relationship with God and the world around us. I would like to suggest a Lenten path to travel as the days grow longer and Easter
approaches,the path of simplicity.

Simplicity is not about poverty, or a renunciation of possessions, or a set of "dos" or "don'ts." Rather, simplicity is a spiritual discipline that re-orients one's life by deliberately organizing it around a central purpose. Adhering to a focused center reduces the fractured nature of our lives. Our priorities become aligned to the focus of our lives, and the way we live out our simplicity in terms of our time, energy, and money becomes a reflection of our inner beliefs. On the most basic level, simplicity means being honest and sincere with ourselves about our faith and what really matters most to us.

To walk the path of simplicity we must believe that God calls us to it. Lent invites us to journey in the way of Jesus by learning more about his way and applying it in our lives.

In the coming 40 days of Lent, allow Christ's light to shine more brightly in your life and lead you into a path of simplicity that helps you re-orient your life toward God in Christ.

WHEN EVERY CHOIR MEMBER WAS LATE Shared by Joe Gatuslao

On March 1, 1950 in Beatrice, Nebraska, the pastor went to church that Saturday afternoon to prepare for the evening choir practice. Most choir members would arrive between 7:15 to 7:30 PM. He then went home for a quick supper, was ready to return with His wife and daughter, when it was discovered the daughter's dress was soiled
and needed a change which in turn must first be ironed.

High school sophomore Ladona had trouble with her Geometry problems and had to stay to finish the problem. Usually, she would always be early for rehearsal.

Two sisters were ready to go to church, but the car won't start. They called up the geometry girl to pick them up. Mrs. Schuster with a small daughter normally would arrive at 7:20, but that night her old Mother needed her and so she dropped by her
mother's house.

A lathe operator wanted to stop putting off an important letter ("I didn't know why") and was late. Stenographer Joyce Black, "feeling just plain lazy" stayed until the last possible minute. Then she was ready to go until it happened.

Machinest Harry Ohl was going to take his two boys to choir practice, since his wife was away, but somehow started talking with someone and when he looked at his watch, it was already too late.

Pianist Marilyn Paul decided to come one half-hour earlier. But after supper, she fell asleep and arrived barely on time. Choir director and the mother of the pianist, Mrs. Paul, was late due to her daughter. She had tried unsuccessfully to wake her up before.

Two high school girls usually go together. But one was listening to the 7-7:30 radio program and that evening broke their usual habit of promptness in order to listen to the end.

At 7:25, The West Side Baptist Church blew up. Its roofed crushed in and its walls fell down---due to leaking gas. But the choir members were all late.

And this never happened before.

OFF KEY AND OUT OF TUNE By Marion Smith

Today I turned on my computer and began to type. I had finished about two lines before I looked at the screen and saw a confusing jumble of letters. I had unknowingly placed my hands one key to the left of proper starting position. Therefore, each word I wrote made absolutely no sense.

The same could happen if I played the piano and put my hands in the incorrect position. The mistake would be audible and detected quickly, but the short musical interlude would be miserable sounding.

The same is true of my Christian walk. I may be off the "beaten path" a little; perhaps putting self first and exemplifying other characteristics which are not Christian. I would sound and look unappealing and make no sense as a Christian, even by being one step to the right or left of where I should be.

I am thankful God wants to place me back where I need to be, in the proper position in His beautiful plan. I need to remember to "look" where I am and "listen" to how I sound. Am I glorifying God in my actions and words? This is my desire, and I am thankful God taps me lovingly on the hand when I am out of place. How about you?

WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE? By Bob Perks

I had two conversations this week with people who appeared to be in two different places in their lives. One was facing success and the other facing failure. Both of them were unhappy.

The first man had finally reached a goal in life that took him several years to complete. "It was all that I ever wanted," he said.

The other man had recently experienced great loss in his life. "It was all that I ever wanted," he said.

The successful man was sadly depressed because he felt that life was over for him. "There is nothing more I can do!" he told me.

The man facing the great loss was sadly depressed because he felt that life was over for him. He also said, "There is nothing more I can do!"

Who is right?

Neither of them.

They are both in the exact same place. There is as much ahead of you after a gain as there is after a loss.

It's like playing your favorite sport. If you lose the game you must evaluate why, plan to improve your chances and come back fighting.

If you win, you must evaluate why, plan to improve your chances and come back fighting to stay a winner.

They both put too much value and importance in the things they had, rather than in who they were.

The successful man gained nothing if the journey to that success didn't inspire him even more. What lessons did he learn? What can he teach others?

The man who was facing loss truly failed because he found nothing of value in losing. What lessons did he learn? What can he teach others?

The successful man stood upon the mountain top and gained nothing from the view. The man who never reached the top stopped looking up. Both journeys are what I call "God inspired."

Nothing we do, nothing that happens ends, it is just continued in another form. Like tossing a rock in a still pond. The initial impact sends ripples across the water which eventually fade. But the presence now of the rock in the water has changed everything. That rock displaced water.

The first man's success sent ripples into the world. His journey to success and his arrival changed everything.

The other man's failed attempt also sent ripples into the world. His failure to arrive changed everything.

Both are immeasurable, but the fact remains, everything changed.

After telling them this story I asked both of them, "Where do you go from here?" In both cases there was silence.

"God made both you and the rock. The rock has no choice but to stay there."

Unhappiness is inspiration waiting to come to life. It is a sign of being"God Inspired." If you are unhappy, discover the inspiration within it. Ask yourself, "Where do you go from here?"

Listen. God is speaking to you right now. "I believe in you!"

WHAT A PAIN! By Martha Bolton

Have you ever tried walking with a pebble in your shoe? All you had to do was remove it, but that would have taken too much time and energy. You would have had to stop, sit down, take off your shoe, remove the pebble, put your shoe back on, then stand up and start walking all over again.

Besides, it wasn't a big rock or anything. It was just a tiny pebble. So you decided to simply ignore it. You kept walking, pebble and all. Eventually, of course, you got a blister, which soon popped and almost become infected. But at least you didn't have to waste any time by stopping and removing that pebble, right?

How often do we walk around with something in our lives that shouldn't be there? We know we should get rid of it, but it's easier to ignore it and to pretend it's not there. Sure, it's affecting our walk. It's blistering, and could eventually infect the other parts of our lives, but we still choose to do nothing about it.

Before long, we're complaining about the path and the pain we're forced to endure. But it's not the path that's giving us the problem. It's what we are refusing to remove.

Is there something you're having a hard time removing from your life? Why do you think we shouldn't ignore the little things that threaten to hinder our walk?


* DEAR LORD, I'd like to become the person You desire me to be. I know it isn't easy, so I'm praying for Your guidance and strength. Apart from You, I will just flutter around and go astray. Remove the blisters of my life. Set all things right for me, Lord, and let me walk with confidence and faith.