This Lent, Pray With Us

Dear First Pres SLO Family,

Grace and peace to you. I know I start each Midweek that way, but think for a moment about what that means. My wish for you—my prayer for you—is that you experience a measure of Christ’s grace and peace, each and every day.

We’re approaching the season of Lent. I’ll talk more about that in coming weeks, but I wanted to alert you to something we’re going to do again together. I’m inviting each of you to a Lent Challenge—saying the Lord’s Prayer five times each day during the season of Lent.

Now you may be thinking: “I don’t have that kind of time!” Please. 

It takes a about 30 seconds each time (maybe an extra fraction of a second if you say “trespasses” instead of “debts”). That’s literally less than three minutes out of your day. I’m fairly certain you can muster that up.

You may also be thinking: “I don’t like reciting prayers—they’re not from the heart.”

This one is more interesting, and I’m going to talk about it on Sunday. Yes, the words of the Lord’s Prayer as we say it are the same each time. What makes the prayer powerful and meaningful for us is that while the words are the same, we’re different each time we say it. I learned it as a child and said it in church with my parents. I said it in college as a way of bringing God into my stress and anxiety as a student. I dissected it in seminary as I learned more about its history and role in the church. I said it as I was taken into the operating room when I had heart surgery.

That’s the way I want for us to think about the Lord’s Prayer—as the heart of our faith.

Our hearts have been beating every day of our lives. Same heart, sometimes faster and sometimes slower. Sometimes even in need of repair. Sometimes even in need of a transplant. Our hearts beat all the time, and yet we’re different from day to day.

As we move into Lent, join me in saying the Lord’s Prayer when you wake up, before each meal, and again when you go to bed. The words will be the same, but you will be different each time you say it.

I hope this Lenten journey will be meaningful for you. As we reflect and repent and prepare our hearts for the joy of the resurrection, I invite you to structure the season around the Lord’s Prayer. Who knows? God might be saying something new to you through these familiar words.

Blessings to you and yours,

Pastor John