Real Spirituality | Old Faith; New Eyes

This Lenten season invites us to journey through the depths of our faith, questioning the foundations, confronting the doubts, and rediscovering a vibrant, authentic, and informed faith in Jesus Christ by Jesus. The theme encourages honest reflection on the nature of faith—moving beyond superficial adherence to rituals, wrestling with the complexities of church hurt, and rediscovering the living truth of the gospel.. It's a call to move from monotony to meaning, from superficial faith to understanding, and from hurt to hope.

Lenten Journey Structure

Week 1: Breaking the Monotony—The "Why" Behind What We Believe

Theme Focus: Does your religion flow from your relationship?
Reflection: Everyone is religious always. Does your religion flow from your relationship to Christ? Our religious practices can often become routine and disconnected from the heart of faith. This week, we reflect on the difference between merely going through the motions of religious observance and experiencing faith as a living relationship with Christ.

Key Questions:

• Why do I do what I do in faith?
• What is the purpose of these rituals?
• How can I move from a checklist of duties to a life of genuine devotion?
  Scripture: Matthew 15:8-9, James 2:26
  Activity: Begin a daily journal asking: “What is my purpose in this action (prayer, service, etc.)?” and “How can I make this act meaningful?”
  Sermon Focus:Religion follows Relationship —What Are We Really Believing In?

Week 2: I like Jesus but not sure about His church

Theme Focus: loving Jesus but not sure about people
Reflection: Church hurt is real, and it often leads to spiritual disillusionment. This week, we bring past hurts into the light, acknowledging the wounds that may still affect how we engage with the body of Christ today.
Key Questions:

• How have I been hurt by the church?
• How does church hurt affect my relationship with God and others?
• Can faith still grow after feeling let down by the community of believers?
  Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 8:28
  Activity: Write a letter to God about past hurts and offer it to Him as a prayer. Consider if reconciliation with the church or specific individuals is a step for your healing.
  Sermon Focus: Healing from Hurt—From Scars to Trust

Week 3: The Doubts We Keep—Wrestling with "Why Do We Believe?"

Theme Focus: Doubting Thomas vs. Blind Faith
Reflection: Faith is not the absence of doubt but the courage to wrestle with it. This week, we explore what it means to have a faith that is both trusting and informed. Like Thomas, who needed to see Christ's wounds to believe, we can have faith built on trust and understanding.
Key Questions:

• What do I doubt?
• Is my faith grounded in anything concrete??
• What are the “Aha!” moments that deepen my trust in God?
  Scripture: John 20:24-29, Mark 9:24
  Activity: Have an honest conversation with someone you trust about your doubts. Reflect on where faith intersects with understanding.
  Sermon Focus: Doubt and Trust—The Path of Honest Faith

Week 4: Rebuilding Trust—Constructing a Concrete Foundation

Theme Focus: Trust & Understanding
Reflection: After beginning to deconstruct layers of confusion, hurt, and uncertainty, it’s time to rebuild. This week, we focus on how to trust and understand what we can trust. We will learn to construct a faith that is deeply rooted and continually growing.
Key Questions:

• How can I strengthen my trust in God while deepening my understanding of Him?
• What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Christ, not just a religious identity?
• Why do I have a challenge trusting people let alone God?
• How do Scripture and the sacraments play a role in constructing my faith?
  Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7, Ephesians 3:16-19
  Activity: Memorize a verse that strengthens both trust and understanding. Reflect on how this verse can be lived out in your life.
  Sermon Focus: Building a Concrete Faith—Where Trust and Understanding Meet

Week 5: Living Spirituality—What Does it Truly Mean to Follow Jesus?

Theme Focus: Real Spirituality in Christ
Reflection: What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In this week, we ask deep questions about spirituality. Real spirituality isn’t superficial routines nor is it emotional movements and self invented rituals. It is based on the work of Jesus, not ourselves, and it follows Jesus clear commands of listening to His words, being baptized, taking communion, serving our brothers in Christ and loving our neighbor.
Key Questions:

• What does “real spirituality” in Christ look like in my life?
• How can my faith grow as a living, daily experience, not just a Sunday routine?
• How can I make my faith truly my own?
  Scripture: John 15:4-5, Galatians 2:20
  Activity: Reflect on how you can actively live out your faith in your daily routines—work, relationships, and leisure. Take one practical step toward embodying a deeper, living spirituality.
  Sermon Focus: rediscovering Jesus’ description of the spiritual life.

Week 6: Rediscovering the Gospel—What’s the "Why" Behind Our Beliefs?

Theme Focus: The Living Truth of the Gospel
Reflection: As we prepare for Easter, this week invites us to rediscover the core of our faith—the Gospel. We’ll ask what the gospel means not just in general, but for us personally. This week will help us refocus on the transformative power of Christ’s resurrection.
Key Questions:

• What does the Gospel mean to me personally?
• How does the resurrection of Christ transform my life?
• How can I live out the truth of the Gospel each day?
  Scripture: Romans 5:6-11, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
  Activity: Reflect on the core truths of the Gospel—how has the resurrection impacted your faith? Write a letter to Jesus expressing your gratitude and commitment to living out the Gospel.
  Sermon Focus: Rediscovering the Living Gospel—The Power of the Resurrection in Our Lives

The Rebuilding Process: A Life of Rediscovery

As we approach Easter, the culmination of Lent is not just about returning to a routine of belief but about reconstructing our faith in a way that comes from Jesus, is informed, and meaningful. In His book, Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton describes a person’s faith journey as a person who sails off to discover new lands, lands on what looks like a new world, only to discover she returned to her home.,  . 
Through this season of Lent, we invite you to question, to wrestle, and to build a faith that is your own—a faith rooted in both understanding and trust. This is not a season of easy answers, but one of meaningful transformation. We aren’t going anywhere new, but we will be made new as we rediscover what has always been there in Christ

Final Reflection for Easter

Easter is not only a celebration of Christ’s resurrection but a celebration of the resurrection of our faith itself. The faith that has been tested, deconstructed, and reconstructed is now stronger, deeper, and more vibrant. This Easter, celebrate a faith that has been touched, healed, and transformed directly by Jesus.