March 4, 2026
Lenten Greetings,
Did you step into the season with an intent to nurture your faith? At the beginning of the season, I invited people to set five minutes to focus on a verse in scripture that would arrive in their in-box. There are five of us who are taking this journey. I've been using those five minutes to get curious about the text.
Here's one of my journal entries:
Genesis 17:1 – “Walk before me and be blameless.”
This sounds frightening! Walk in front of God? This is something that I don’t want to do. The sounds of Peter echo in my mind. “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the way of eternal life.” God calls me forward. Even though I go into the unknown… I go following God.
Maybe you prefer to set your intention on making a difference. Years ago, Shannon Bumgarner shared that she likes to take something on, rather than giving something up. She recently shared her intention.
"I am a LLL (Life-Long Lutheran); my church growing up didn’t really focus on “giving things up” for Lent. I’ve never really been in that habit, though some years, I feel motivated to take something on for the 40 days.
One year I read the novelization of the Bible, which had 40 chapters (excellent stories in there)! Some years I try to volunteer a bit more for the duration.
This year I focused my efforts on local schools. I had been hearing that many schools have unpaid balances on their student lunch accounts. I recently discovered that each district handles this differently. Some limit snacks for those children; some are in the process of filling out the forms for a reduced-cost lunch.
My Lenten intention I chose was to contact the business administrator or administration about paying down as many of those accounts as I can. I know I can't erase all the debt, but I believe I can make a difference that matters in the lives of some of the youngest among us.
If you haven't taken on an intention, it's not too late. I invite anyone to join me and discover that small acts of generosity can make a big difference in the lives of those we live beside in our community."
FYI... I could add you to the email group to receive a small verse each morning in your in-box.
I'd love to hear what your Lenten intention is. Drop me an email or a text.
However you journey, walk with Christ,
Pastor JJ
Did you step into the season with an intent to nurture your faith? At the beginning of the season, I invited people to set five minutes to focus on a verse in scripture that would arrive in their in-box. There are five of us who are taking this journey. I've been using those five minutes to get curious about the text.
Here's one of my journal entries:
Genesis 17:1 – “Walk before me and be blameless.”
This sounds frightening! Walk in front of God? This is something that I don’t want to do. The sounds of Peter echo in my mind. “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the way of eternal life.” God calls me forward. Even though I go into the unknown… I go following God.
Maybe you prefer to set your intention on making a difference. Years ago, Shannon Bumgarner shared that she likes to take something on, rather than giving something up. She recently shared her intention.
"I am a LLL (Life-Long Lutheran); my church growing up didn’t really focus on “giving things up” for Lent. I’ve never really been in that habit, though some years, I feel motivated to take something on for the 40 days.
One year I read the novelization of the Bible, which had 40 chapters (excellent stories in there)! Some years I try to volunteer a bit more for the duration.
This year I focused my efforts on local schools. I had been hearing that many schools have unpaid balances on their student lunch accounts. I recently discovered that each district handles this differently. Some limit snacks for those children; some are in the process of filling out the forms for a reduced-cost lunch.
My Lenten intention I chose was to contact the business administrator or administration about paying down as many of those accounts as I can. I know I can't erase all the debt, but I believe I can make a difference that matters in the lives of some of the youngest among us.
If you haven't taken on an intention, it's not too late. I invite anyone to join me and discover that small acts of generosity can make a big difference in the lives of those we live beside in our community."
FYI... I could add you to the email group to receive a small verse each morning in your in-box.
I'd love to hear what your Lenten intention is. Drop me an email or a text.
However you journey, walk with Christ,
Pastor JJ
