Tonight’s Lenten Service was really meaningful. It circled back to the messages from Ash Wednesday when our theme, Releasing Our Fears, was introduced. The last several weeks have been spent around our fears: the fear of change, the fear of not being enough, the fear of loneliness. You might remember back to Ash Wednesday when we had that incredible service when we released our fears… CLICK HERE if you can’t remember or need a refresher.

Those fears we released or gave to God that day. Did they sneak back into our lives? Have we been successful in keeping them away?

A great analogy was shared again tonight. I had heard of this before, but I need to tattoo it into my brain. Cast your sins, fears, worries into the Sea of Forgetfulness. But, remember not to go fishing back into that Sea the next day. Let it all go to God.

I do have to say that I had some major things I have been carrying around for years. I burned them up in that awesome bowl on Ash Wednesday. I gave them to God. I watched them rise away from me and out of my grasp.

And until tonight, I hadn’t realized that I truly have let them go. I no longer think about them. I no longer give them power in my life.

And for that, I declare VICTORY.

Tonight, we went through a few prayers where we visualized certain things to focus on, and this time, those things were DIFFERENT than the things I have been carrying around for YEARS. They had way more meaning to me and to my life right now.

We processed up to the front tonight and shed our worries and fears into a bowl of water.

We were encouraged to not fill that new space up with new fears, but to let God talk to us.

I really feel that God has spoken to me this Lenten season. I am in a great spot spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, and I haven”t been there in YEARS. It feels amazing.

The time I spend with my family, my friends, and my coworkers feels so much more meaningful, so much more real, and so much more ME.

After service, Punky, Pastor Max and I walked outside to give that bowl of our fears, our worries back to the Earth. I wish I would have had my camera on me. You’ll just have to believe me how powerful that was as the fresh, clean water, dumped through the snow, and spattered mud up from the grass. It surely was a picture of releasing our fears and giving our worries to God.

Even Punky commented on how muddy the water appeared. We gave that muddy water back to God.

PRAYER Gracious God, you show your might in our daily battle against sin. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, help us be victorious so that we can live and serve you in newness of life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen