| We Should Be Grateful Lent, a period of 40 days of prayer and fasting meant to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting, is for us a period of fasting, almsgiving, encouraging reflection, and repentance towards a deeper connection with God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Lent is a time to prepare the heart and mind for the celebration of Jesus’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Three Pillars of Lent are: Prayer: Engaging in more focused prayer, seeking God’s guidance, and deepening one’s relationship with God. Fasting: Practicing self-discipline and abstaining from certain things (food, activities, etc.) to focus on spiritual needs. Almsgiving: Giving to those in need, both materially and through acts of service, reflecting God’s love and compassion. Many of us roll through Lent with passing consideration of its meaning or our personal connection to its celebration. Something I have to keep reminding myself of is what Lent is leading up to and why this season is so important. “For God so loved the world…” John 3:16 is probably the most recognized verse in all of the Bible. More people have that verse memorized than any other. Let’s repeat it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV) Often connected with Christmas and the birth of Jesus, to me this verse is even more impactful when it is also tied to Jesus’s death. God’s only Son was sacrificed for our sins. As we approach Easter and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus, we can only sit be humbled by Jesus’s death on the cross and his resurrection assuring for us forgiveness of sin and thus peace with God. Those accepting Jesus receive eternal life. That we offer ourselves “both materially and through acts of service” in recognition and thankfulness is only fitting. The hymn writer Isaac Watts summed it up well when he penned the verses of the hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” He wrote… When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. I’ll close with the chorus from one of my favorite hymns: … So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross ‘Til my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged cross And exchange it someday for a crown. Almighty and ever living God, you invite us deeper into your world, your people, your Lent. May this time be one of outward focus; seeking you in those we often ignore. Help us live a Lent focused on freedom, generosity, and encounter. |
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| BBill Russell RMCC Board of Directors Bill@ResurrectionMCC.Org |