Lent Question For Charismatics: Have You Lost Your First Love?

In the lead up to the next ADoRE mini retreat on 28 February, Alastair Emblem writes about the dangers of losing our joy and passion for the Lord and highlights His passionate call to return to our first love this Lent.

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I don’t know about you, but when I think back to my early years as a newly born-again in the Holy Spirit charismatic Catholic, there was a sense of excitement and infinite possibilities. By contrast, in recent years, I have experienced rather less excitement on the whole, and rather more limited possibilities.

At first, I explained this away to myself by thinking: “Well, I’m forty-something years older now; I’m more mature and realistic in my faith; my love for the Lord is still there, but it’s less of a teenage crush and more like that of a long marriage. My focus is on doing things to serve the Lord.”

However, more recently, and particularly when approaching Lent this year, I have come to realise that these are not acceptable excuses, and I seem to keep hearing those words from Revelation 2:4: “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

Intentionally carving out time to focus primarily on worship

What started me rethinking my attitude (which is a fair definition of metanoia), was the planning process for this year’s ADoRE programme of charismatic mini-retreats. The core group discerned in prayer last year that the theme should be “The greatest gift is love.” We felt we needed to go back and explore the foundational truths of our faith, and how they reveal the amazing and transformative power of God’s love. This theme will not only enable ADoRE participants to deepen our own understanding and appreciation of the good news, but will also inspire and equip us to share it with others.

On a personal basis, I have been consciously carving out more time from the busyness of planning and organising ADoRE and other parish activities, to focus primarily on worship. This has meant going to lively praise sessions, spending more time in adoration and listening to the Lord, receiving quality teaching on appreciating God’s presence and love, and praying with expectant faith for the Holy Spirit to move in power.

'This shift of focus from activity to worship is bringing back the excitement of the early years'

I can testify that this shift of focus from activity to worship is bringing back the excitement of the early years and, more importantly, is beginning to bear fruit. I’m excited by the reactions to the January ADoRE session and the powerful talk by Fr Chris Thomas. Here are just two of the dozens of testimonies of thanks we received:

'This Zoom meeting was the most fulfilling I have ever attended…. The talk was all the things that a talk should be: inspirational, uplifting, extremely touching and very deeply expressed.'

'I have been to many Renewal meetings, conferences and Adore over the years, but this has been the most powerful and meaningful of any.'

What inspired me to write this article was a statement in my daily meditation guidebook, commenting on Mark 12:28-34: “What our Lord seeks to lead us into is a passionate relationship with himself. God does not want robotic obedience, but passionate engagement.”

My main intention this Lent is to engage more passionately with the Lord. What is yours?

To sign up for ADoRE on 28 February, sign up here: bit.ly/ADOREFEB2026