Take a breath, a long, deep breath. Feel the air fill your lungs, the steady rhythm of your heartbeat, the silence that is never truly empty but alive with presence. In this sacred pause, you touch something deeper, the very breath of God. The ancient word Ruach speaks of this breath, this Spirit, this holy force that cannot be contained. It is the wind that parted the seas, the breath that gave life to creation, the Spirit that empowered prophets and emboldened the early church. And it is here, now, moving among us, stirring within us.

Lent offers sanctuary, six weeks set apart, a sacred shelter in time. Worship is sanctuary, drawing us into the presence of God. Our bodies are sanctuary, holding within them the breath of the Divine. With each inhale, we receive the gift of life; with each exhale, we release and make space for God’s renewing Spirit. This season invites us to rest, reflect, and transform.

On this journey, we engage with spiritual practices as an act of communion. We gather to experience a quiet, contemplative morning, sing in community, the warmth of twinkling candles glow, confess our transgressions, and wash our hands; these practices are where holiness unfolds and becomes spaces where God meets us; we encounter the sacred in the ordinary.

Lent calls us not just to withdraw but to engage, to discover that we are standing on holy ground even in the simplest of moments. So come, breathe deeply, and enter the sanctuary of this moment. Come, let us gather and worship.