Reflection: Starting Over

"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people." (Joel 2: 12 -18 - NIV)

Much of life is about 'starting over'. I suspect, the desire of many of us is to 'start over'. We want to be and to do better than we have been. We want to return to God (Joel 2: 12), to be more faithful to the Gospel call to love as Christ loves.

We need to take some time out during this season of Lent to consider hou we would like to 'start over'.

Gracious and loving God, during this season of Lent and Easter grant us the grace to let go those things that separate us from You and each other, so that as Your people we may manifest Your loving presence in our Church, our Community, and our World!