For any college basketball fan this month means “March Madness”! On March 15 sixty-eight college basketball teams will begin their quest for a National Championship. This year’s “Final Four” will be played right here in Houston.
Of course no one knows yet for sure who will be in the Final Four, but I do have a prediction. (In fact, if I were a betting man I’d be willing to put money on it!) I predict every Final Four team will know how to practice. Raw talent, strategy and a bit of ‘luck’ will come into play, but each team appearing at Houston’s Final Four will be deeply committed to rigorous practice. Relentless practice enables each player to perform naturally and easily in the field of play.
The church season of Lent is all about practice. During Lent we practice our way toward the cross and in doing so take on the life of Christ for ourselves. During Lent we practice the ‘small’ things like prayer, fasting, reading Scripture in order to become champions in Christ.
As Lent begins, we are again encouraging everyone to join a “Lent in the Living Room” group. This year’s all church study will be The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith. This first book in a series of three introduces the concept of soul training exercises which are ways you and I practice our way into new life in Christ. To complement the Good and Beautiful Life study, we’ll be studying the book of Ephesians during worship. As we dig into the epistle we’ll see Paul untangling false narratives about our relationship with God. Ephesians invites us into a life of soul practice as we “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1) Lastly, Ephesians presents a compelling view of the community in Christ called the church.
So, stretch your arms and legs, put on those warm-ups and get ready to practice! Lent begins with Ash Wednesday worship on March 9.
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