The earliest Christians had no
observation of Ash Wednesday or of Lent. Their primary holiday
was Easter or the first day of the week, which is Sunday. For
a time they included Saturday as a fast day and then later added
Friday. Then forty days were added not counting Sundays. By the
seventh century we had in place what we observe today except
that in recent decades many have moved the passion story of Maundy
Thursday and Good Friday to Palm Sunday due to the lack of attendance
at mid-week services.
In some circles, the season is a time of preparation for baptism
and admission into the church. In our denomination and congregation
it is a time for personal and corporate spiritual renewal. This
call for repentance and renewal was well in place even before
the earthly ministry of Jesus.
Throughout the Old Testament, God calls to us again and again
with words of love and forgiveness offering us another opportunity
to be in relationship with our Creator. Many of these times were
brought about by the people turning their backs upon God and
by threats to their national security which were thought to have
come about because of the people's wickedness.
As we come together in 2006, the world around us offers many
threats whether or not we choose to acknowledge them. We are
reminded daily of terrorism. In spite of 9/11, we somehow manage
to believe we are immune. Those who attempt to warn us of environmental
issues are often ignored either because they are dismissed as
being alarmists or because we cannot accept our individual and
corporate roles in these matters. The threat doesn't seem
close enough at hand to cause us much concern.
We have only scratched the surface of what needs to be done
world-wide to address issues of poverty, hunger, ill health and
social injustice. We tend to ignore the story of Matthew 25,
in which Jesus separates those who have helped those in need
from those who have ignored them stating that, "as you
have done this to the least of these you have done it unto Me!"
It would be easy to continue with all that is wrong with the
world but I want to bring our attention to something far more
positive albeit directly connected to the aforementioned concerns.
God has created us to be in relationship and until we understand
and accept what is involved in this we deny ourselves the opportunity
to experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from being actively
engaged in this relationship.
Given all with which we are blessed it is quite easy for us
to think that life could not be much better. We can even be deceived
into thinking that our wonderful lifestyle is God's blessing
for our goodness or that it is mainly a result of our own efforts
and God has little to do with it.
In this season of Lent which begins today and lasts until Easter,
April 16, we need to act upon God's words found in Joel
2:12, "Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all
your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; rend
you hearts and not your clothing."
What God is saying is we need to have a change of heart. What
is in our heart or mind determines how we live and how we relate
to God and to others. We will not help God bring about change
in the world if all we do this Lent is give up some meaningless
commodity for the next six weeks. What is needed is for us to
allow the Holy Spirit to give us a whole new way of seeing things.
In 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul states the acceptable time for salvation
is now here. Jesus has come into our midst bringing us the opportunity
to live in God's Kingdom but we have to choose to live
there which is to live differently than we live in a worldly
kingdom. We have to decide and act upon whom or what will be
the ultimate authority in our life.
Lent is an opportunity for us to evaluate things, a time for
us to look deeply within ourselves and ask whether or not we
are indeed being all we have been created to be and experience.
One of the greatest dangers to the church is for its members
to be satisfied with something we have created and pronounced
as being holy. If what we have is not truly what God desires
then we are cheating ourselves from the true blessings God intends
for us to receive.
No matter what you think, you cannot have a love affair with
someone you don't really know. You cannot have a love affair
with someone with whom you do not spend quality time. You cannot
have a love affair with God if you are not also demonstrating
love and concern for others through acts of compassion, servanthood
and social justice.
I pray to God that you are not feeling beaten up by my words
tonight. That is the last thing I want to do. The Church and
many of its clergy and members have done enough of that throughout
the ages. I am attempting to invite you to a living relationship
with the One who is the source of life and love.
God has demonstrated love for us through the death and resurrection
of Jesus. God has promised to forgive and forget our sin and
to love us forever. I am attempting to invite and encourage you
to become more aware of love and life and to walk more fully
in it in order that you may experience a happiness and completeness
unlike anything you have ever experienced.
The purpose of Lent is to bring us closer to God and to living
more fully in God's Kingdom.
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