Rev. Michelle's Message February 19, 2026

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the official beginning of the liturgical period of Lent. Lenten practices vary from tradition to tradition, but in Unity we embrace Lent as a time to focus on our spiritual growth. During this 46-day period, we typically adopt or go deeper into spiritual practices and disciplines such as prayer and meditation, devotional time, or even fasting or retreat. It is a time of releasing what no longer serves us (fasting) and taking on the new ideas/beliefs/habits we want to adopt (feasting). Unity’s Lenten booklet, Release and Reimagine, is a wonderful way to focus your attention during your devotional/prayer time each day.

As we move through this period of focused spiritual practice, our purpose is to prepare our hearts and minds for the Resurrection, which in Unity we interpret metaphysically/metaphorically as a re-birth or re-awakening of the Christ Consciousness that is the Truth of each and every one of us, but that was so fully and beautifully demonstrated in Jesus of Nazareth.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he was constantly travelling from one place to another while gathering disciples, preaching, and healing and transforming those who came to him. This year, we are using the book, Meeting Jesus on the Road, to guide our Lenten studies. This wonderful little book will take us through the many twists and turns of Jesus’ journey from Galilee, where his ministry begins with his baptism in the Jordan River, to Jerusalem, where he is ultimately executed by Rome, dying on a cross at Golgotha.

While maybe not quite as dramatic, our own spiritual paths often consist of some considerable twists and turns as well. And so this Lent, I invite you to begin to think of your own spiritual path as a journey you have made and are continuing to make. You may want to reflect on this journey over the coming days and weeks, considering what your own path of spiritual growth has been like and how it has been impacted by the events of your life.

Most journeys involve a seeking of some sort. Perhaps we are seeking answers or inspiration or purpose or comfort. As we embark on this Lenten journey along with Jesus and his disciples, I invite you to consider the question: “What are you seeking?”

Don’t fret too much over coming up with an answer. Rather, allow this question to gently guide you over the coming weeks and the answers to unfold in their own divine timing. 

In the gospel of John, Jesus invites us to “come and see…” His invitation to us is not to endlessly study his teachings, but to live into them, to witness what he does and follow him on the path. I am certain this journey will provide the right and perfect insights and growth for your own unique spiritual path. To begin, we need only take the first step.

Lenten Blessings,

Rev. Michelle