Lent 2024: UP

Welcome to Lent 2024 with Spirit of Life. This year, we will follow Jesus, as he is up to a lot in the stories from the gospels of Mark and John. After his baptism in the Jordan River, he comes up to hear God's loving words. He makes it clear that following him means taking up a cross. He says that the temple will be raised up in three days.
In the spirit of what Jesus is up to, we're adopting a new take on Lent. Instead of giving up something you love (such as chocolate or sugar or carbs), consider “getting up to something” for the sake of The Good. What is The Good? Well, that's something we can consider together, but for the purposes of opening that conversation, let's say it's something that makes the world a better place, creating life and abundance for ourselves and others, injects a little more joy into our every day lives.  
Being “up to something” doesn’t have to be anything big, or life-changing, or unnecessarily piled onto an already-busy schedule. Finding “practices” that elevate our spirit can sometimes simply be a more intentional minute of reflection about something that shows up already in our lives. 
One way to enter into this Lenten practice is a daily journal. You can download a copy of the Daily Journal here.  The journal is a fillable PDF, so you can simply store it on your computer and fill it out each day. It can also be printed. And printed copies are available at church.
Another great way to enter into Lent is our UP playlist. It's available through Spotify. Click here to access it.  This playlist incorporate the songs we sing in worship each week, along with some old favorites and honest, heart-breaking songs by Joy Oladokun, who sings beautifully about real life and her encounters with the Divine.