Dear Church Family,

The weather taunted us with a brief taste of spring. A few unseasonably warm days slipped in between the gray grip of winter. Coats were left at home.  I found myself walking in shorts a few days. Windows cracked open. The thawed ground seemed to be gathering up energy to bring forth green growth. Then winter returned, as it always does, but something had shifted. The warm days stirred us. They reminded us that spring is coming.

And when spring approaches, preparation begins.

Closets get sorted. Garages are swept. Tools are laid out. Calendars begin to fill with the uptick of activity that comes with a new season of life outside. Spring cleaning is not just about tidying a house. It is about making room for what is ahead.

From now until Easter, we are invited into a season of spiritual preparation. Just as we clean out what has gathered over winter, we have a time to ask the Lord to clear what has quietly accumulated in our hearts. Distraction. Weariness. Complacency. Unconfessed sin. Lent becomes a holy reset, a time to prepare for the celebration of the resurrection by drawing nearer to the One who conquered the grave.

Throughout Scripture, God’s people entered seasons of consecration before moments of great significance. Moses remained in the presence of the Lord forty days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law. Israel consecrated themselves before crossing the Jordan into the promised land. The prophet Joel called the people to “consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly” so they might return to the Lord with all their hearts. Even our Lord Jesus withdrew into the wilderness for forty days of fasting and prayer before beginning His public ministry.

James reminds us, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8, ESV). That promise stands firm.

This season invites us to practice the spiritual disciplines we have recently reviewed with renewed intention. Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, confession, worship, generosity, and fellowship are not religious obligations. They are means of grace. Metaphorically, they open windows through which fresh spiritual air enters the house of our heart. 

Let us use these weeks before Holy Week well.

Pray for personal spiritual growth. Ask the Lord to search you and reveal areas of your life that need cleansing and refreshing. Pray for our community. Many around us are carrying unseen burdens. Ask God to awaken hearts and to use our church as a place of truth, compassion, and hope.

Pray for our church and its future. The early church devoted themselves to prayer before major decisions and in seasons of challenge. Pray for unity and wisdom, that decisions would reflect humility, discernment, and courage. In times of uncertainty and division, the church must be faithful in intercession.

Spring is coming. The light is lengthening. Activity will increase.

As Greg shared this past week, let us go beyond attending church to becoming the Church. 

Loving you all, 

Michael