A member of the church asked to speak with me this week about their Lenten practices. They were worried about feeling discouraged if they weren’t able to maintain their practices. I want to be clear; Lent invites us into the desert with Jesus—not to prove ourselves flawless, but to become more faithful.
So often we approach this season with a lot of pressure: pray more, give more, fast better. We set ambitious goals and, when we stumble, feel like we’ve failed. But Lent is not a spiritual performance review. It is a pilgrimage. And pilgrimages are about direction, not speed.
When the Bible tells of Jesus spending forty days in the wilderness, it does not describe perfection achieved through willpower. It reveals trust deepened through surrender. The desert strips away illusions. It shows us our hunger—physical, emotional, spiritual—and invites us to bring that hunger honestly before God.
Progress in Lent looks like small, steady steps:
• Choosing prayer even when distracted.
• Beginning again after missing a day.
• Softening a hardened attitude.
• Offering forgiveness, even imperfectly.
Perfection says, “If I can’t do it flawlessly, why try?”
Grace says, “Begin again.”
Lent is not about becoming impressive, it is about becoming open. Not about conquering weakness, but about recognizing our need for mercy. Each time we return—after failure, fatigue, or forgetfulness—we practice resurrection in miniature.
This season, let your goal be movement toward love, not mastery. Let your fasting create space, not shame. Let your prayer be honest, not polished.
Because God does not wait at the finish line with a grade sheet. God walks beside us in the wilderness, shaping progress in every imperfect step.
Blessings,
Rev. Beth
