The Christian Season of Lent again ushers us into Easter...and into spring. It's a wonderful thought, isn't it? Spring is coming! And Easter Day, too! Meanwhile we travel through this Lenten Season having perhaps some less positive thoughts, at the minimum, some "mixed emotions." Lent seems to present itself as a less than happy time. All this emphasis on penitence, discipline, and sacrifice. All this business of taking the cross and following Jesus. And the season ends with Holy Week, surely in many ways the hardest week to bear for Christians. The most difficult, but the most important.
Lent seems to carry this mood of penitence--regret, sorry-ness, contriteness, confession of sins and such. But it is worthwhile as Lent begins to remember that Jesus does not use the word penitence. Nor does the concept get much play in the whole New Testament. The emphasis for Jesus was not penitence, but repentance. The gospel of Jesus was summarized by the Gospel writers as "The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe this good news!" Now repentance is not penitence. To repent means, literally, to "turn around," to "change direction," and its use in the Gospels denotes a complete reorientation of one's being to God. That is what Jesus asked of his hearers. That is what Jesus asks of us now.
During this Lenten Season, let us not dwell on regret and contrition so much as taking active steps to bring repentance--and the fruits of repentance--into our lives. Let us reorient our life to God in Christ. Let us recommit and rededicate our lives to Jesus. This is the truest meaning and challenge of Lent. The end of the journey as well as the outcome is Easter.
Join us in worship this Lent, beginning with the special Ash Wednesday Service this coming Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Let us dedicate and renew our lives to God that we may live more faithfully in the Kingdom of God--and be prepared for the Resurrection Life.
May God be with you in a special way this Lent.
Grace & peace,
Pastor David
Lent seems to carry this mood of penitence--regret, sorry-ness, contriteness, confession of sins and such. But it is worthwhile as Lent begins to remember that Jesus does not use the word penitence. Nor does the concept get much play in the whole New Testament. The emphasis for Jesus was not penitence, but repentance. The gospel of Jesus was summarized by the Gospel writers as "The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe this good news!" Now repentance is not penitence. To repent means, literally, to "turn around," to "change direction," and its use in the Gospels denotes a complete reorientation of one's being to God. That is what Jesus asked of his hearers. That is what Jesus asks of us now.
During this Lenten Season, let us not dwell on regret and contrition so much as taking active steps to bring repentance--and the fruits of repentance--into our lives. Let us reorient our life to God in Christ. Let us recommit and rededicate our lives to Jesus. This is the truest meaning and challenge of Lent. The end of the journey as well as the outcome is Easter.
Join us in worship this Lent, beginning with the special Ash Wednesday Service this coming Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Let us dedicate and renew our lives to God that we may live more faithfully in the Kingdom of God--and be prepared for the Resurrection Life.
May God be with you in a special way this Lent.
Grace & peace,
Pastor David
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