Happy Lent

Call me crazy, but I think Lent is my favorite season.  Yesterday we celebrated the official beginning of Lent, with Ash Wednesday services at church.  My husband Greg and I attended the school Mass at St Luke with the kids in the morning, and I played for Mass at Holy Trinity in the evening.  This season encourages us to look into ourselves, to reflect on who we are and who God calls us to be, and to prepare for Jesus' death and resurrection.

I think a lot of people see this as a "doom and gloom" season.  All of the music in church shifts to a more minor or reflective tone.  We take the word "Alleluia"  out of the liturgy completely.  We don't sing the Gloria, we simplify musical accompaniments as much as possible.  The décor in the church is reduced.  The water fonts are drained.  We lament our humanness and we ask God to show us mercy.  We seek to be better Christians, we eliminate "junk" from our lives and try to hyper-focus on our relationship with Christ. I think there's something kind of unique and awe-inspiring, to go through a period of "suffering" that you know will end in victory.  I think of it like having children.  Those hours of labor are tough and intense, but being able to hold the baby in the end and feel their skin on yours makes it all worth it.  We know the rest of the story.  Every year we are reminded that our salvation came at a high price.  We retell the story so that we don't forget.  And in this reminder we appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for us all the more.

Every Lent since I can remember, my husband has given up junk food.  This past fall, his battle with Covid actually reduced his craving for sweets, long term.  He never lost taste or smell or any of that, but what once was a craving, is now little more than a "eh, that was ok" experience.  So maybe he'll give up something else, something harder, this year.  Maybe not.  For me, I've never gotten into the whole "let's give something up for Lent" idea.  A couple of years ago I gave up social media, and I'm trying to do that this year a little.  But I think for me it's more an idea of what will I do instead.  If I'm giving up social media, what am I putting in it's place.  Perhaps another way to look at it is I'm giving up being disconnected, I'm giving up apathy, I'm giving up self righteousness.  It is my hope that those things can foster some more long term changes, instead of "as soon as Lent is over, I'm eating a big cake!".  Ok, so my husband has also never approached it that way, but you get the point. 

I love being a musician, because I am able to say through music what I might not be able to covey with words.  Sometimes the music falls short of that goal, I will admit, but I do my best.  I try to pray about the ministry often.  I actually do not like to perform as a general rule, which I think actually makes my job easier.  The focus while in church must be on Jesus.  If the focus is on me, then I'm doing it wrong.  And I know that as soon as I rely on myself alone, that's where things will fall short.  It's always about Him.  It is because of Him that I am able to do what I do.

And speaking of playing for church, I've been keeping busy with funerals this season.  Three this week, and one next week.  I must go get ready.  Peace to you dear readers.