No matter your religious tradition, it doesn’t hurt to use a particular season to do what you probably ought to be doing anyway! Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a time we can set aside to remember the Lord’s death and what that might mean for us. We’ll get to Resurrection Sunday soon enough!

As soon as Peter acknowledged Jesus’ true identity as “you are the Messiah, the son of the living God,” (Mark 8.29) Jesus began the tutorial:

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. (Mark 8.31, 32, ESV)

Then Jesus directly related his life’s plan to ours:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8.34, ESV)

What might that look like? Taking up our cross and following Jesus? And if, like me, you don’t know exactly what that might look like, can you take one action step for these 7 weeks? Just a small one. I like the tradition that says let’s not merely “give up something,” say, chocolate, for Lent. Rather, let’s add something in.

For example, if Monday’s blog reminding us how much we use our phones (or computers or engage in…[you fill in the blank]) was thought-provoking, maybe we trade some time we spend doing that for time doing something that will enhance our relationship with God, serve our neighbor, or complete important projects.

As the weeks go along, please send your actions to me at bob@ewell.com, and maybe toward the end of Lent, I can blog about how this year’s Lenten season advanced the Kingdom in ourselves and others.

We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1.23, 24, ESV)

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2.2, ESV)