“… Jesus himself continues to teach us. He has not contracted laryngitis. His voice is not hard to hear. His vocabulary is not difficult to understand. He is the good shepherd, and his sheep do hear his voice. He guides his people. He corrects his people. He forgives his people. He instructs his people. He oversees his people. He empowers his people.”

| Lynda L. Graybeal & Julia L. Roller, Learning from Jesus: A Spiritual Formation Guide

During this season of Lent, we are following in the footsteps of Jesus and in times like these, our footing may seem uncertain. But, we are not on shaky ground. We have a guide and he has been this way before. One foot in front of the other, we must rely on Jesus and trust that he knows the way that we should go. Facing Calvary’s cross, he didn’t turn back and neither should we.

No yellow brick road in either case, the road ahead will cost us something of ourselves. More than giving something up for Lent, we are invited to give in to the spiritual impulse of deep belonging. Keep your chocolate and surrender to a more authentic connection.

This is the time to listen up for the calling of Christ. Jesus is calling us by name, not as individuals but as a body. Author Sarah Young has made popular the phrase turned book title Jesus Calling and he is. Jesus is calling us not just in the pages of hardcover and paperback books, not only in devotionals and on mugs color– coordinated to capitalize on a product. No, Jesus is calling us to come together, to come closer, to come nearer to him to hear what he has to say to us, to direct our path, to give us a vision for the future.

In our world, there is much we could worry about, no end to ruminations of what could go wrong. But, there are also opportunities around every corner to be drawn more fully into fellowship with each other.  Jesus is still calling us. Because he has not lost his voice or his vision for us.