Finding Your Place This Lenten Season: Reflections from Phil Amerson
In this "Because" Episode of the podcast To Be and Do, host Phil Amerson invites listeners into a short yet powerful reflection on the onset of the Lenten season. Through personal anecdotes and gentle guidance, Phil Amerson encourages listeners to engage more deeply with both their faith community and their own spiritual journey. Here’s a closer look at the episode’s highlights and three key takeaways that can help inspire your own Lenten practices.
Embracing Community During Lent
At the start of the episode, Phil Amerson confesses to sometimes watching multiple church services on TV instead of attending in person. Yet, as Lent begins, he suggests this season is an opportunity to shift focus back to congregational life—to the “acts of ministry,” preaching, and the connections found within a parish community. He teases upcoming episodes featuring guests like Dr. Robert Hill, Philip Wengai Ruo, Rachel Matheny, and Tim Sorens, all of whom will discuss aspects of ministry and parish life. Through these upcoming conversations, Phil Amerson is clearly drawing out the richness that can be found in engaging with the life of the church.
Takeaway 1: Rediscover Your Place in the Church
Lent is more than just a personal spiritual exercise. It’s an invitation to consider your place within a larger community. Phil Amerson’s emphasis on congregations and parishes encourages us to not only focus inward, but to also connect outward—supporting and participating in the faith community around us.
The Call to Personal Reflection
Referencing Matthew 6, Phil Amerson reminds listeners of Jesus’ advice to pray privately rather than performatively. He links this to Lent, encouraging us to consider not just what we might give up but where—in our own souls—we might need renewal or change. For Phil Amerson, this year’s Lenten discipline involves stepping away from social media, namely deactivating his Facebook account, in favor of prayer, reading, and contemplation.
Takeaway 2: Let Go to Grow Closer
What’s taking up your time and energy? Lent is a prime occasion to lay something aside—be it a habit, distraction, or even a pleasure—in order to make space for spiritual growth. Phil Amerson’s choice to unplug from social media offers a real-world example of how giving something up isn’t about deprivation, but about making room for what’s truly important.
Shifting Perspectives on God’s Love
A striking moment comes when Phil Amerson challenges “lousy theology” that places us at the center of salvation—as if we have the power or burden to decide whether or not we’re saved. Instead, he stresses that, “that work’s been done.” The real question is whether we’ll live as if God already loves and accepts us.
Takeaway 3: Live Loved
Too often, spiritual life can get bogged down in guilt or striving. Phil Amerson’s encouragement is to rest in the assurance that God’s love isn’t something to be earned. Lent, then, becomes not just a time for self-denial, but for embracing renewal, letting God’s transformative love guide our choices, actions, and attitudes.
This episode is a gentle yet stirring reminder that Lent is about both reflection and reconnection—within ourselves, with our communities, and ultimately, with a God who’s already made the first move toward us. As Phil Amerson signs off, his hope is clear: that this Lenten season would be a time of realignment, renewal, and rediscovery for us all.
Philip and Elaine Amerson live in Bloomington, Indiana where they enjoy work the multiple educational and cultural opportunities of the city. They each are active in several community activities from addressing issues of low-income housing, public safety, encouraging civic and faith community involvement.
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