Churches

Good day dear hearts, I love you. As the days lengthen and winter slowly loosens its grip, Christians around the world enter a sacred season known as Lent. For many, it is a familiar rhythm on the church calendar with forty days of reflection, repentance and renewal leading up to Easter. But Lent is far more than a tradition. It is an invitation. A call to pause, to look inward and to consider the state of our relationship with God. You won't find Lent in the Bible, but Lent has been in existence since the first 100 years of Christianity and by about the 4th Century the liturgical Lent began with forty days of preparation for Easter. The number forty appears throughout Scripture as a period of testing, preparation, or transformation. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai. Israel wandered forty years in the wilderness. Jesus fasted forty days before beginning His public ministry. Lent echoes these moments, reminding us that spiritual growth rarely happens in comfort. It happens when we step away from the noise and allow God to speak to the deeper places of our hearts.

One of the most powerful passages that captures the spirit of Lent is the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. I used this Scripture last week when I spoke to you about Agape love. Though not traditionally labeled a "Lenten text," it embodies the very heart of the season. A young man demands his inheritance, leaves home and wastes everything in reckless living. When famine strikes, he finds himself feeding pigs, hungry, humiliated and alone. It is in that low place that he "comes to himself" and decides to return home. Lent is that moment of coming to ourselves. It is honest recognition that we, too, have wandered. We have allowed distractions, habits and attitudes to pull us away from the Father. We have settled for less than the life God desires for us. But the beauty of the parable is not the son's failure, it is the father's response. While the son is still a long way off, the father runs to him, embraces him and restores him. That is the heartbeat of Lent. Not condemnation, but invitation. Not shame, but grace. A Father who still runs toward His children.

The apostle Paul deepens this picture in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, the great chapter on love. While often read at weddings, its message is profoundly relevant to Lent. Paul reminds us that religious activity without love is empty. We can speak with eloquence, give generously, or demonstrate impressive spiritual gifts, but if love is missing, we have missed the point entirely. Lent calls us back to the kind of love Paul describes, patient, kind, humble, forgiving, enduring. A love that reflects the character of Christ. When we hold these two passages together, a powerful truth emerges. Lent is not simply about giving something up. It is about returning to the Father and rediscovering the transforming power of His love. It is about allowing love to reshape how we live, how we speak and how we treat others.

In a world marked by division, anxiety and hurried living, Lent offers a counter-cultural path. It invites us to slow down. To examine our hearts. To ask hard but necessary questions. Where have I drifted? What needs to be surrendered? Who do I need to forgive? How can I love more fully? These questions are not meant to burden us but to free us because God meets us in the honest places. For some, Lent may be a time of fasting from certain foods or habits. For others, it may be a season of adding something meaningful like daily prayer, Scripture reading, acts of service, or intentional silence. The specific practice matters less than the purpose behind it. The goal is not self-improvement but spiritual alignment creating space for God to work in us. And what does this mean for us today? It means that Lent is not a relic of the past but a gift for the present. It reminds us that no matter how far we have wandered, the Father's arms remain open. It assures us that love, real, Christ-shaped love, is still the most powerful force in the world. It challenges us to live with humility, compassion and renewed purpose. As we journey through these forty days, may we walk with intention. May we allow God to search our hearts, heal our wounds and draw us closer to Him. And like the prodigal son, may we discover that the path home is always shorter than we feared because grace meets us long before we reach the door.

God Bless. Lord, we give you praise, honor and glory. We pray for our little town and its people. We pray for healing and peace.

Join us Saturday, February 21st from 12:00pm to 1:00pm for a complimentary dinner of grilled cheese, tomato soup with a side of rice and dessert. Pastor Vince, 570-853-3988.

Five churches in our community invite you to our 2026 Lenten service. Join us each Wednesday at: 2/25 North Jackson Community Church; 3/4 St. John the Evangelist RC; 3/11 Susquehanna Christian Community Church; 3/18 Thompson Christian Church; 3/25 Lakeview Mennonite Church. All services start at 12:00pm and at 12:30 a simple soup and sandwich will be served. All are welcome as we gather across congregations to reflect, sing, pray and walk together through the season of Lent. C'mon Suski! Let's worship together and share the Lord.