What would it take to completely reset your life? In this Ash Wednesday message, Rev. John Gorin of Holy Trinity Silicon Valley opens the Lenten season with a powerful reflection on letting go of ego, self-reliance, and the worldly scorekeeping that pulls us away from God.

Drawing on the remarkable story of U.S. Olympic skier Colby Stephenson, who survived a devastating car accident and returned to competition with a transformed perspective, Rev. Gorin explores how Lent invites us into a similar kind of reset. Before his accident, Stephenson described himself as ego-driven and obsessed with winning. After it, he called his renewed athletic career "the bonus years". This was a gift he didn't deserve. Sound familiar?

In this sermon, you'll explore:

Why Lent is less about guilt and more about liberation from the habits that crowd out Christ

The three ancient Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving and why Jesus practiced all three

How God meets us in our reset not as a judge with a scorecard, but as the compassionate Father of Psalm 103

What it means to live the "bonus years" of a grace-filled life

Whether you're new to Lent, returning after years away, or simply feeling a nagging distance from God, this message is for you. Lent is not a season of shame, it's an invitation to turn your head from the things of this world and into the loving, truthful presence of Christ.

Recorded at Holy Trinity Silicon Valley's Ash Wednesday service, February 2026.