Dear Members of Calvary,

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I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

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As we enter the season of Lent, let us begin with hope and determination: hope that we recognize our daily encounters with God as He blesses us with His divine grace and mercy and that we live with determination to engage seriously and consistently in the work of moral and spiritual renewal. Why is this important? Our goal as His children should be to live our Christian faith with greater integrity and celebrate the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection with authentic joy. Let us be assured that God has an abundance of grace, which never runs dry and pours out more abundantly in this holy season. Bask and immerse yourself in that grace, for by it we may be cleansed of sin and refreshed in mind and spirit.

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Finally, nourish your faith Lent by seeking God diligently in your life. Only you and God know how diligently you seek Him. God loves us so much that He worked to diligently ensure that we would be with Him forever. He knew we would continuously fall down and would need supernatural help to get back up again and again. So, He intentionally sent Jesus to be our Savior Jesus was diligent in that He obeyed the Father even unto death to pay the price for our sins and cover us with His blood so that the light of God and His forgiveness will forever be upon us. During Lent, the practice is to give something up so that we may use that energy that we would use on an activity or the pleasure we take in a certain food and place that toward more time and thought toward God and our relationship with Him. Take time to spend more time with the Father in prayer and reading His Word. Ask Him to show you where you need to be more diligent in your relationship with Him. Make this Lenten season purposeful and intentional for you. Use that time, energy, or space that you would normally use for whatever you give up to get closer to God.

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As I close this letter, I remind you that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to make us a new creation. In 2nd Corinthians we are told, “From now on we regard no one according to the flesh . . . So, whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold new things have come.”

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Lent is a sacred and blessed time to throw off any habits, inclinations, or “stinkin thinking” that separates us from being closer and more intimate with Christ. You are here and alive for this Lenten season. Don’t say “ I will do it next year for Lent.” Remember, tomorrow is not promised let alone next year. Seize the day and be intentional about the next forty days of fasting, prayer, reading His Word, and seeking His face and best for Your life.

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Yours in Christ and Be Blessed

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Pastor John R. Walton, Jr., D.Min