Rev. Michelle's Message March 6, 2025

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the official liturgical beginning of the period of Lent that will lead us right up to Easter. Traditionally, Lent is a time of preparation for Easter–a time to focus on spiritual matters, to dedicate extra time to prayer and spiritual study, and to prepare ourselves to commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday.

Many people choose to “give up” something for Lent as a way of focusing their spiritual attention and gaining spiritual insight and growth through a practice of discipline. Others choose to “add something” rather give something up–some add a special spiritual habit or practice that they commit to doing each day during Lent. This might include daily prayer/meditation, reading a spiritual book or devotional, taking a spiritual or religious class, or committing to some other practice that helps to deepen our relationship with Spirit.

In Unity, Lent has traditionally been a time when we “fast from material or earthly things” and “feast on things of the Spirit.” During the period of Lent, we in Unity often focus on releasing things that no longer serve us, making room to receive more joy and love and goodness from Spirit. We might choose to focus on releasing negative thought patterns, bad habits, complaining, fear, or worry. If you are using Unity’s Lenten booklet, In the Garden, you will see that each day is devoted to releasing common barriers to our spiritual growth and joy.

Is there something you feel particularly called to release during this period of Lent? Or maybe you are feeling called to commit to a spiritual discipline during this time? This process is an internal one–it is personal and up to you to choose how you want to participate in Lent. However, Lent is a perfect time to renew our commitment to daily practicing the “pause” Rev. Vicky has been talking to us about over the past few weeks.

If you are new to meditation or have never kept a daily practice, you could start with just 5 minutes a day. Remember, this is a commitment you make to yourself. No one else is going to know whether you stick with your practice or not (unless you tell them). I encourage you to set a realistic goal for yourself so that you can experience success.

Five minutes a day may not seem like much, but believe me, if done every day over a period of time, it will begin to transform you in wonderful ways! Any amount of time you spend in quiet contemplation, communing with the God of your understanding, or, if you prefer, connecting with your own Higher Self, will provide real and lasting benefits.

Remember to keep it simple. Meditation can be as simple as sitting quietly. You don’t need to sit in a special position or on a special cushion, but you can if you like. You don’t need to say any special words or repeat a mantra, but you can if you like. You can simply set your timer for 5 minutes, sit comfortably and close your eyes, take some deep breaths to settle in, and then simply rest, breathe, and BE. Your mind may start to go a little crazy, but that’s okay. It’s completely normal and happens to everyone, even seasoned meditators. You can just keep coming back to this present moment, to this breath, to this body, and practice just BEING.

To help you get started, here is a link to one of my very favorite meditations that I do all the time, sometimes as a way to settle in before doing a more formal type of meditation practice and sometimes just by itself. Try it out and see if you feel more relaxed and at peace when you’re done.

Link: https://youtu.be/rP8Pnv7Psv4?si=SJE8VbIouB7ouxMJ 

Whatever you choose for your Lenten practice, my wish for all of us is that this period of preparation may be a time of connecting more deeply with one another and with our own spiritual paths, of experiencing life-affirming peace, calm, and relaxation, and of coming to know more deeply the loving presence of God that is available to us all in each and every moment. I am so honored and blessed to be learning and growing along with all of you.

Lenten Blessings,

Rev. Michelle