As the days begin to lengthen and the temperatures slowly rise, we are reminded of the turning of the seasons and the ebb and flow of life. The trees that released their leaves just a few short months ago are stretching their branches toward the sun and sprouting buds that will quickly turn to canopies of shade, providing shelter and refuge to a variety of wildlife. The brown grass and bare gardens are slowly waking from their winter sleep as we watch the crocus leaves peek through the ground and birds return to the trees and serenade us with their song.
What a joy and blessing it is to bear witness to the sights and sounds and smells of springtime. It reminds us again of God’s promise of abundant life for us all.
Spring also brings the season of Lent as we prepare our hearts and minds for Easter. It is a time of preparation when Christians commit to prayer and other practices that draw us closer to God and God’s call for our lives. The common practices of fasting and acts of penance during Lent direct our focus away from worldly desires in order to more clearly listen to God.
For the past seven years Isaiah 58 Ministries has invited participants to spend the season of Lent learning about hunger and poverty in our community through our Hunger for More campaign. This campaign encourages individuals to draw closer to God through relationships within our community. It challenges us to consider the many ways we are called to “hunger” (to yearn) for these relationships.
This year, we are coupling our challenges – each week inviting participants to combine a personal act of fasting with an opportunity to give of oneself. In this way, we are turning our focus away from ourselves and centering instead on our community and God within our community.
We invite you to follow our Facebook page (facebook.com/i58ministries) where every Sunday a meditation regarding the upcoming week’s suggested practices will be posted. Then each weekday will offer posts centered on the current week’s practices. These meditations will also be posted here, on our website.
Below you will find a schedule of our weekly practices.
| Personal Fasting | Almsgiving | |
| Ash Wednesday | Consumerism | Giving of Goods |
| 3/1/2020 | Busy-ness | Mindfulness |
| 3/8/2020 | Apathy | Acts of Kindness |
| 3/15/2020 | Gossip | Compassionate Listening |
| 3/22/2020 | Negativity | Compliments/Affirmations |
| 3/29/2020 | Self-Criticsm | Self-Care |
| 4/5/2020 | Judgement | Sharing and Receiving Stories |
In addition, as we focus our hearts and minds on God’s call for our lives, we invite you to support the ministry at Isaiah 58 Ministries by making a donation in the amount of what it would cost to eat out once a week during the season of Lent. Your generous donation will enable us to continue to serve our community through our various programs and be God’s heart and hands in St. Louis.
We pray you have a blessed and meaningful season of Lent and thank you for sharing your bounty with others.