Pastor's Reflection - February 22, 2026

Fence Building & The Spiritual Life

When I was in college I took a landscaping job one summer. Early in the day I measured and cut each board carefully as I began building a fence. But as the heat rose and my focus drifted toward escaping to air-conditioning, my standards slipped. By the time I finished, the fence was jagged and crooked, a visible reminder that carelessness yields poor work. When I took my parents to see the fence, they nearly laughed themselves out of the car.

Our spiritual lives are much the same. Small relaxations in discipline, little compromises of truth, or moments of inattentiveness can accumulate until our faith looks bent and uneven. Satan does not always attack with thunder and lightning; often he works subtly, inviting us to daydream, to rationalize, to postpone the hard work of holiness. Lent calls us to notice those moments and to recommit before small faults become large ones.

Spiritual maturity is built day by day: steady prayer, honest confession, regular Scripture, fasting that clears space for God, and generosity that breaks the hold of self-centeredness. None of these are dramatic overnight fixes, they are measured, repeated acts of fidelity that keep our lives aligned with Christ. If you feel your spiritual “fence” tilting, start small: add five more minutes of prayer, speak with a friend or mentor for accountability, choose one habitual excuse to renounce this week. Just as Satan gradually lures us away so to do little acts bring us back to restore the joy of salvation. The main thing is not to get discouraged. After all, Jesus was a carpenter!

This Lent, let us refuse the lazy comforts that make our souls crooked. Let us work with care, humility, and perseverance so that when others look at our lives, they see craftsmanship formed by grace. Join us in a renewed season of disciplined love and let God straighten what needs straightening and, please don’t forget to plan on attending our All Parish Family Mission from March 9-11. The Lord will give you some beautiful tools to straighten your fence!

In Christ,

Fr. James Northrop, Pastor