It is the time of year that I really want to open windows and get some fresh air in. That can sound great, but it is rather chilly air, maybe a bit bracing, and on a day like today pretty gusty as well. Getting a through stream of air through a room however is refreshing, and brings a certain vitality.

You don’t realise that when there is poor ventilation, that the air gets stale and heavy. It can cause a heaviness of being, and listlessness, even cause allergies or poor sleep. Fresh air as they say, sweeps out the cobwebs.

Sometimes our souls need spiritual fresh air. We have been doing the same things for so long, our habits have become a dull routine rather than a life giving practice. It is easy for life to become a mundane trudge of just surviving.

I believe that God wants to refresh our souls. The holy spirit at Pentecost is described as a violent wind. When Jesus encountered Nicodemus in John  chapter 3, it says in verse 8: ‘ the wind blows where it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the spirit.’   

We really need the strong breeze of the holy spirit to blow away what is old and stale, and to bring new life and energy. In this season of Lent, we pray that God would disentangle us from bad attitudes, destructive habits, acceptance of an unhealthy status quo. We pray for discernment for what needs to be let go of, and what needs to be embraced- new ways forward that are life giving and enriching. In the desert, Jesus was tempted but at the end the angels came and attended him, and he was prepared for his years of ministry. Sometimes there is a stripping away of superficial things, but then new possibilities can emerge. In this period of Lent, may God helps us welcome the new creativity and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Gracious God, despite our best efforts, at times we get stuck in a rut, we are going through the motions, but life feels discouraging and stale. We confess our helplessness and our our wrongdoing, the way we have hurt others, and we beseech You for cleansing. Then Lord Jesus, You send the Holy Spirit to breath life into us. Wind of the Holy Spirit fall afresh upon us, upon Your people, upon this world. In this time of Lent may we not settle for bland compromises that please no one, but seek to honour Your name by loving truly and deeply, with integrity and generosity. Open the windows of our soul, stir us up, help us see the world through Your eyes, and to show radical grace and mercy to all. In Jesus’ name, Amen