Happy anniversary

I didn’t grow up in a church that practiced many liturgical aspects of worship like Ash Wednesday, which we observed last week. The first time I ever participated in this kick-off to Lent was here at Hillspring, and it has become one of the more significant forms of worship for me. This season of Lent leading us to the cross, tomb, and resurrection is such a meaningful way to recenter and refocus ourselves on Christ. But Ash Wednesday and Lent will remind me of the unusual circumstances that came in 2020 for the rest of my life. If we go back to the archive of videos we have done over the past two years, March 15, 2020, was the first Sunday where we weren't together. We observed Ash Wednesday, kicked off Lent, then we were home isolating and trying to ride out this pandemic for a week or so. 

Now, I'm not going to get all down in the dumps about the past two years. I'm too much of an optimist to do that. The struggles we all faced were real, but I chose to see these last two years as full of opportunity. A few months into the craziness, I recall walking around my backyard talking to my friends on the phone. I tried to connect with a few people every day. The conversations would last upwards of an hour every time. Over and over again, I would hear my friends and family say this whole pandemic had been giving them so much more quality time with their family and that they had more meaningful conversations with close friends in recent months than they had in the previous years.

The truth is, we were all forced to slow down, take stock of what mattered most in our lives, and get comfortable being uncomfortable. We found that we had so much "extra" in our lives that it weighed us down. We didn't realize the heaviness of that weight until March 2020. This incredibly complex year showed us the beauty of simplicity.

For me, this much simpler life and a new schedule were refreshing. I wanted to hold onto the whole mindset of “less is more” beyond the pandemic. The intentionality that I could have in my relationships with God and with others superseded any schedule and to-do list for once. I practiced being present each day with my family because there was nowhere else to go. I couldn't hide behind my job or schedule anymore. I had to address my weaknesses, faults, and shortcomings. I had to give those things to God, be vulnerable, and be humble enough to change. Most of that change came from forced rest and silence. 

This brings me to Lent 2022 and this "anniversary" of sorts. Over the last six months or so, I know I've let a little extra get on my plate. I've reverted to a few pre-pandemic habits where I am not intentional with relationships and time. If I'm not careful, the concept of being present in my day will be lost. I don't want to look back over the next year and wonder where the time went. A year from now, I want to look back and say, "Wow, God! Look what You did! Thank you for the endless blessings around me!" 

I could leave you with some deep, insightful worship song that will wrap this whole idea of simplicity in a beautiful package for you to listen to and reflect on, but the song that keeps coming back to me is “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” by Alabama. Yes, this Texas girl loves her country music! What these lyrics say is I’m in a hurry, but really, what is the point? If I rush through life, I’m going to miss out on life. I don’t want to do that. I want to live a present life with purpose. 

The scripture I’m going to carry with me throughout this season of Lent is from James 4:13-15. 

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

If there were lessons God was teaching you during 2020 that you wanted to hold onto but have let slip to the back burner over the last few months, let me challenge you to bring those to the front again. Get rid of the "extra" that stops you from being intentional and makes you feel bogged down. Live with purpose. Be present. Let go, and let God lead. 

Go be a blessing,

April Bergez

Worship Leader