Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. (Psalm 143: 10)

Today many churches begin a season of preparation for Easter known as Lent. This is an old German word simply meaning Spring.

In the early church there was no separate festival of Easter. But by the third century it was increasingly common for the Church to give seasonal attention to the Easter story. The gospels situate the story during the Jewish season of Passover. Accordingly a specific Sunday in the Passover period came to be selected as the date for the greatest of Christian festivals.

Over time the forty days before Easter came to be a period in which fasting and other disciplines were practiced. The purpose being to put aside distractions and focus more intently on the will of God as exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus.

My greatest distractions are worry, pride, and a closely related preference for being in control. I hope that during this period of Lent I might fast from these distractions.

Teach me and lead me God of all.