Of New Beginnings, Lent, and Pruning Fruit Trees
This is the first week of a new Church Year. March is the perfect time to start thinking ahead and making a missional plan for the year. January might kick things off, but let’s be real—it’s tough to pick up speed after the holiday chaos. February is all gloom and cold, so we’re just sort of coasting through, counting down the days until it’s over. But March is when we can really get things rolling!
Lent also begins this week. Lent is to Easter what Advent is to Christmas—a season of preparation helping us make ready our hearts for a great celebration. Many of our churches will observe Ash Wednesday—the start of Lent—with special services.
Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal, during the 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. It is a time to embrace practices of prayer, fasting, and charity. Lent encourages us to draw closer to God through intentional spiritual disciplines, deepening our connection to Him and to one another. This season can be a time of transformation, as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, remembering His sacrifice, and preparing our hearts to celebrate His victory over death at Easter.
Three years ago, I planted a small orchard of fruit trees – apples, peaches, pears, persimmon, and pawpaws. They’ve become established and are growing well. The arborists advise letting young trees direct their energy to the strengthening of structure rather than the production of fruit. So, last Spring I removed the first fruits as they emerged on each tree. This past weekend, I pruned the trees for the first time, which I found even more emotionally difficult than removing the first fruits. Pruning is a discipline that requires a long-term perspective, rather than a short-term view. During this Lenten season, what might we need to prune from our lives that will result in greater abundance in the future? That is the question of Lent.
Eddie Estep
SCO District Superintendent
