“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” — John 15:5 (NIV)
Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. It is a time when we remember that spiritual growth comes through pruning, pressing, and crushing. Grapes are beautiful on the vine—round and sweet because they are deeply connected to the source. When grapes stay connected, they grow healthy and strong. However, if they detach from the vine, they wither. In the same way, we are called to abide in Christ. In the Methodist tradition, we are reminded that God’s grace is always at work—shaping us, sanctifying us, and drawing us toward holiness. Sometimes that shaping feels like pruning.
Lent invites us to ask: What in me needs pruning? Where is God refining my character? Am I willing to be transformed for the sake of bearing fruit? Am I staying connected to the Vine through spiritual disciplines?
Grapes serve their purpose not just by hanging on the vine. To fulfill their greatest purpose, they must be harvested and pressed. Only then do they become something greater—juice, nourishment, and wine.
Through prayer, fasting, acts of mercy, and self-examination, we allow God to press out what is selfish or prideful within us, so that what remains is love. And love, when poured out, becomes nourishment for the world. As Methodists, we believe in sanctifying grace—the truth that God is not done with us yet. The crushing is not destruction; it is transformation. This Lent, may we trust the Vine. May we yield to the Gardener. And may our lives become fruitful for the glory of God.
Prayer: Gracious God, Prune what is not of You. Press out what keeps us from loving fully. Help us remain in Christ, the True Vine, So that our lives may bear fruit that lasts. Amen.
“Pruning Audit” Exercise: Take 10 minutes with a piece of paper. Draw a simple vine with several branches. On each branch, write a commitment or habit you currently have. Circle the one that feels “withered” or is sucking the life out of your relationship with God. Pray: “Gardener, I give you permission to prune this so I can bear more fruit.”
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-6, NIV)
Jesus isn’t condemning public worship; He is condemning theatrical religion. The Greek word used for “hypocrites” in these verses refers to stage actors wearing masks.
The Methodist movement was born because John Wesley noticed that many people were “mask-wearing” Christians—attending church but lacking the “power of godliness.”
Reflection: The Audience: When I do a good deed or say a prayer, am I seeking “applause”? From whom? If no one sees my good deeds, will I still continue to do them?
The Door: Jesus says to “shut the door” when we pray. Am I authentic before God? What is my life like when no one is watching?
The Reward: Performance-based faith gets its reward immediately (human praise). Secret-based faith may not bring immediate rewards, but we will receive a reward from the “Father who sees in secret.” Which type of reward am I seeking?
In the Methodist tradition, we talk about “going on to perfection”—which is a journey of being perfected in love. John Wesley recognized that we cannot simply “will” ourselves into holiness; instead, it is God who empowers us for holy living.
When we practice spiritual disciplines such as studying the Scriptures, fasting, partaking in the Holy Communion, visiting the sick and advocating for justice, we aren’t “earning” merits with God. Rather, we are drawing close to the God who loves us.
During Lent, these spiritual disciplines take on deeper significance. We remember we are shaped by what we consume—not just physical food, but the Word and the Witness of the faith community. As we pray and fast this season, let us remember that we are being molded into the image of Christ, one “holy habit” or spiritual discipline at a time.
On this first Sunday of Lent, we walk with Jesus into the wilderness. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” This wilderness experience was meant to prepare Jesus for ministry. Lent is a season of sanctifying grace — a time when the Spirit searches our hearts and strengthens our relationship with Him. Our wilderness experience becomes holy ground as we encounter Him.
In the wilderness, Jesus faces three temptations: (1) to turn stones into bread, (2) to test God’s protection, and (3) to hold on to worldly power. Each temptation tries to lure Jesus to choose self-sufficiency over dependence on God, self-reliance over obedience, and control over surrender. Yet each time, Jesus responds to the temptations with Scripture. Jesus knows His identity as the Son of God.
Our wilderness may not look like desert sands. It may look like anxiety about the future, tension in relationships, or struggles with lust, envy, or pride. Lent gently reveals where we are tempted to rely on ourselves instead of on God. The good news is this: we do not enter the wilderness alone. The same Spirit who led Jesus leads us. The same Word that strengthened Him strengthens us. And because Jesus has already overcome temptation, we walk not toward defeat but toward resurrection.
Reflection: Where am I testing God rather than trusting God? Which area am I struggling to surrender to Jesus?
Let this be a week of honest self-examination. Fast from whatever distracts you from hearing God’s voice. Read Scripture daily. Attend worship services and fellowship with other believers. Trust that even in barren and dry places, God’s grace is at work.
“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” — John 1:9
Methodism teaches “prevenient grace,” which means the grace that goes before. Before we understand who God is or learn what is right or wrong, God is already at work within us. The Light was shining long before we turned toward it.
Jesus Christ gives light to everyone. No one is beyond the reach of God’s divine love. God is always at work, taking the initiative so that we may know Him. Even in seasons when we felt God was far away — He was never absent. God was patient with us, leading and guiding us, protecting us from dangers seen and unseen.
God’s grace does not only rescue us, but it also invites us into a relationship with Him.
Reflection: When did you first become aware of God’s presence in your life? Looking back, can you see moments when God was guiding you before you recognized Him? How does it change your understanding of salvation to know that God loved and sought you first?
King David wrote Psalm 51 when he realized the depth of his sin. The prophet Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba (cf. 2 Samuel 11–12), and David was shocked to see how far he had fallen.
David prayed for God’s mercy. God is merciful, and He invites us to come before Him with our brokenness. “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (verse 17).
Only God can create a clean heart within us and renew our broken spirit (verse 10). We cannot do so through our own efforts or self-discipline. We must lean on God’s mercy and grace to turn away from sin.
David acknowledges: “My sin is always before me.” We live in a fallen world. We cannot avoid sin completely. We are sinful from birth (verse 5); it is part of our human condition. Yet God continually calls us back to Himself, washing us clean. “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (verse 7).
The season of Lent invites us to examine ourselves and bring the things we are not proud of before God. David is deeply aware of his brokenness. He seeks God’s forgiveness and experiences the joy and restoration found in Him. What joy it is to know that God has forgiven us. In response, we experience “joy and gladness” (verse 8).
“Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you” (verse 13). When God transforms our hearts, it becomes a powerful testimony. We want to tell others what God has done in our lives so that they too may find freedom from bondage and healing in Him. What joy it is to be reconciled to God!
Psalm 51 moves through:
-Courage to look within
-Resting in divine mercy
-Whole-hearted worship
-Renewed identity in Christ
May we find courage to look inward so that we can be renewed in God.
February marks the beginning of the season of Lent. What is Lent? Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. Lent is a season of 40 days, not including Sundays. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday). Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word “lencten”, which means “lengthen” and it refers to the lengthening days of spring.
There are 40 days in Lent to represents the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, in which Jesus was spending time in prayer in preparation for His ministry. It was when the devil tempted Him 3 times, and Jesus defeated him (Matthew 4:1-11).
Lent is a time of repentance and fasting. Fasting does not necessarily mean we abstain from food. It can be refraining from activities that distract us from spending time in prayers. Fasting helps us to draw closer to God by remembering that we do not live on bread or food alone but on God’s Word. Fasting helps us to attack the sin that is within us. What sins are you struggling with? Fasting helps us to lean upon God and with God’s help, break away from the sins that entangled us. Fasting gives us freedom from sins that grip us.
The Israelites described in this passage were fasting. However, their fasting was not acceptable to God. One of the problems was that although they were fasting, they were using it as an opportunity to oppress the weaker people. The employer would use fasting as an excuse to avoid work for that period of time, and it meant that the workers would have no income during the fast. This provoked God’s anger.
The people were fasting, yes, but at the same time, they had their own selfish agendas behind it. From the outward appearance, it seemed they were fasting, but God saw their hearts, and their hearts were far from God.
What is the type of fast God is looking for?
What is the type of fasting which God is looking for?
It is mentioned in Isaiah 58: 6-12:
• to loose the chains of injustice
• to untie the cords of the yoke
• to set the oppressed free and break every yoke
• to share your food with the hungry
• to provide the poor wanderer with shelter
• to clothe the naked
• and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.
And then in verses 9-10:
• if you do away with the yoke of oppression
• stop the pointing of the finger
• stop the malicious talk
• spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
• satisfy the needs of the oppressed
In short, God wants to see these things in His children:
1. Lift the Burdens of Others
• to loose the chains of injustice
• to untie the cords of the yoke
• to set the oppressed free and break every yoke
• To satisfy the needs of the oppressed
Words such as: “chains, cords of the yoke, oppressed…”. God wants us to help lift the burdens of others. Not to increase it.
May we help those in need, and not to be bystanders to watch or to add to their hardship.
2. Share your food with the hungry
In school, we had to do Moral Education. We were given a picture and say what we should do in a scenario. In school, it is easy to say we should do this and that but now we are adults living in a real world. Sharing food with the hungry is not as straight forward as writing Moral essays in class. How can you share with food with the hungry? We are called to feed the hungry. What are some ways that we can feed the hungry? It may not need to be like a pot-bless or a party or something extravagant. It can be a small little act that we do. God will use your small acts of kindness to bless someone in need.
3. Provide the poor wanderer with shelter
God calls us to provide shelter to others. It can refer to being hospitable to others, especially the foreigners, the migrants in our land. How can we show hospitality to others?
4. Provide clothing for the naked
This includes clothing others with dignity. Remember that we all came from the dust of the ground as God has made the first man out of the earth. Uphold each other with dignity.
The verse says, don’t point fingers at others. Be sympathetic.
5. Respect others
In fasting, we are to respect others. And not to turn away from our own flesh and blood.
13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:1-3, NIV)
Remember those who were in difficult circumstances as if we too are in it.
6. Satisfied the needs of the oppressed
Help those who are oppressed. Be their friend. Passionless giving or donation without much thoughts are not what God wanted.
If you do these things, then see how you will experience God’s mercy and grace:
-Your light will break forth like the dawn
You will enjoy the blessings of the Lord. People will know that you belong to God by the way you live.
-There will be strengthening in you
-Your righteousness will go before you
-Glory of the Lord will be your rear guard
-The Lord will surround you
-The Lord will answer when you call
-The Lord will satisfy your needs
-The Lord will strengthen your frame
-You will be like a well-watered garden and like an ever-flowing spring
God blesses those who bless others. God will never short-change His children. When you give of yourselves to help others, God will satisfy you. You who feed others, God will feed you. You who clothed others in need, you will be clothed by God. You will not be in want but will be like a well-watered garden, a spring that will not run dry. God will strengthen you and bless you.
These are the blessings we will receive when we fast the right way to seek His face. We have to be very careful here. God is not a genie whose arms we can twist in order to get blessings. Every blessing we receive is grace from God, not that we have earn it with our own efforts or strength.
It is a right time to think about these questions:
Why am I doing what I am doing?
Why am I fasting?
Am I praying and fasting because I want to draw near to God? Or am I doing this with hidden motives or self-centred agenda?
Lent started with Ash Wednesday. The significance of Ash Wednesday is to remind us of our mortality. Let us be mindful that we are just a breath. The weak, the poor and the oppressed are not so different from us. They are also human like us. How would you live differently if you are mindful that our days are on earth are numbered? As Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. Let us be intentional to set aside time to seek God’s face. Let us think beyond ourselves and see how we can help others during the season of Lent. May we be refreshed by God as we help others.
