Jordan Memorial UMC

The start of the year has certainly reminded us that winter is here. The cold temperatures and repeated rounds of inclement weather have caused us to miss several activities and gatherings. When storms disrupt our routines, it can be frustrating. Our patterns are interrupted, and it becomes harder to gain momentum as we move forward into a new year.

As I was preparing for the first major storm, when there was the threat of ice and possible power outages, I decided it was finally time to check on my generator. I went out, pulled the cord, and… nothing. It would not start. I knew exactly why. That generator had been sitting unused for years. I had always known what needed to be done: drain the old gas, clean the carburetor, replace a few parts, start it regularly to keep it running. I knew all of that, but I never made it a priority. Why? Because things were fine. I was comfortable. I didn’t need it.

And because I neglected it in the good times, it wasn’t ready when I needed it most. Thankfully, we didn’t lose power during that storm. But the lesson stayed with me. Due to comfort and complacency, I had allowed an important tool to fall into disrepair. Since then, I’ve ordered the parts and when they arrive, I will begin the hard work of restoring it to working order. It will not be easy, it will take time, getting my hands dirty, being intentional, and doing the maintenance that should have been done all along.

 I can’t help but see how much this resembles our faith journey. For many of us, when life is going well, we neglect our spiritual maintenance. It becomes easy to skip church, forget to pray, miss Bible study, or put our spiritual disciplines on the back burner. We tell ourselves that we’re busy, that we’ll get back to it later, that our faith will be there when we need it. But what happens when life becomes difficult? What happens when we face grief, uncertainty, illness, conflict, or crisis, and our spiritual “generator” won’t start because it has been sitting untouched for too long?

Faith is not something we can store away in a corner and expect to run strongly in the storm if we haven’t maintained it during calmer seasons. Our relationship with God requires care, practice, and attention over time. The good news is this: if you have neglected your spiritual maintenance, it is not too late. Yes, it may take work. It may require getting your hands dirty, rebuilding habits, returning to prayer, worship, Scripture, and community. But restoration is possible.

This month, we begin the celebration of the liturgical season of Lent, forty days of intentional spiritual preparation as we journey toward Easter. Lent is a gift. It is a season to repair, renew, and strengthen our faith. It is an opportunity to get our spiritual practices back in working order. We are living in challenging times. We see violence in our communities, mistreatment of others, division, and deep need all around us. The Church is called to be a voice of hope and a light in the darkness. But to do that, we must be spiritually ready.

This is our season to do the work.
              To rebuild our faith.
             To restore what has been neglected.

Because a generator is not meant to sit in the corner, it is meant to provide power when the lights go out. In the same way, our faith is not meant to be something we set aside until we are in trouble. Faith is meant to be active, alive, and ready to shine. Many around us are seeing the lights go out and the church is called to shine light in those dark places.

When storms come, whether in our personal lives or in the world around us, we are called to be people who bring light instead of darkness, hope instead of fear, and love instead of despair. A well-maintained generator produces electricity that allows others to see clearly in the night. A well-nurtured faith produces the spiritual strength and compassion needed to bring Christ’s light to those around us.

So let us use this Lenten season to start our spiritual generators again. Let us commit ourselves to prayer, worship, Scripture, and community, so that when the storms come, we are ready, not only to endure, but to shine. May our faith be strong, our hearts be renewed, and may we be a source of light and love in the midst of the storms.
                                                                                                 Chris Smith