Photo-a-Day Lent!

Usually about this time church people are talking about what they're giving up for Lent. Chocolate is a popular choice, pop, fried foods, something that helps us experience self-denial with the hope that it will help us to better focus on God as we prepare for Easter. I'll be the first to admit that my Lenten sacrifices often 1) have an ulterior motive i.e. weight loss, saving money for something I want, and/or 2) fail miserably before we even get to Palm Sunday. As with many things in my faith journey, I feel like maybe I'm missing the point or I just don't quite get it yet. 

Now I'm not discouraging anyone from Lenten-chocolate-self denial, but I would like to offer up this alternative. ReThink Church has put out this photo-a-day challenge of sorts for Lent. The idea is easy: take a photo that represents the word for each day and share it. The thing is that it's already got me thinking, looking around, reinterpreting what I see in hopes of finding some of these things in my daily life and it doesn't even start until tomorrow! Maybe that's a little more what Lent's about, looking at our lives, at the ordinary and watching for God, noticing God moving more than we usually do. And while it might seem like the easy way out as opposed to giving up pop (not sure I can do that, ever), I'm getting the sense that this might be more meaningfully. And I'm betting I'll be a much more fun person to be around. 

So join me, won't you? It's only 40 days. Follow along, take a picture, head over to our WDMUMC facebook page and share with me your photo each day. Like this: 

We'll pull them all together at the end of the day in a collage to show what these things mean to WDMUMC.

My prayer is that God shows up for us in ways we're not expecting, that we tune in better and keep our eyes and our hearts and our minds open to what God's doing during this time. Can't wait to do Lent with you!

Jen Hibben, Associate Pastor