We begin the New Year with good intentions of ways we can improve and enrich our lives. We write down a list of changes we can make in 2010. In our list of changes for 2010 as Christians, do we put “spending time each day with God” near the top of our list?

The beginning of the Lenten season according to the United Method Book of Worship describes this period in our spiritual journey “as a season of preparation of celebrating Easter.” Taking that spiritual journey is not about easy answers and instant progress. We need to realize that each of us is a continuing project of God. Mary Lou Redding in the recent article of “The Upper Room” realizes that many of us “along with instant potatoes and microwave meals, we often want instant answers and instant spiritual growth. We’d like a clear statement of what God wants us to do. . . We’d like a prepared spiritual food package that we can pull out and zap for instant spiritual growth when we have a few minutes to spare.”

The significant spiritual truth of the Lenten season is to realize that spiritual growth is a life long practice. The spiritual life is not about easy answers and instant progress. Each of us is a continuing project for God. 
Spiritual growth comes one step at a time. It is helpful to realize as we worship and practice the spiritual disciplines of faith that indeed Paul encourages us not to give up in pursuing what God intended us to be. “God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
So what I think this means is that all of our lives God is going to be working on us to make us who we are supposed to be.

May this Lenten season be a time for us to reflect and ponder through worship; Bible study and readings, prayer and meditation, fellowship and service to others, those moments of grace when we have had some new spiritual insight and growth. May this be a blessed journey of spiritual growth and insight for all.

Peace in Jesus Christ,
Rev. Brian Tokoph