LENT 2009

On the first Sunday of Lent, I put together a bulletin insert to help the congregation prepare for this very special season of the Church Year. Today (March 19) we are exactly half way to Easter Sunday, so I am putting my words up on my blog as a reminder of what this season is about. I am grateful to John Weborg for his insights, which I've incorporated into my reflection here.

"As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51)

Each week in our Sunday morning worship, the service has started with the theme of "Journeying With Jesus." Some of the things we have focused on include: the Cost of Following Jesus, Listening to Jesus on the Journey, and Do Not Worry on the Journey. I hope that as you journey with Jesus, especially during this time of Lent, that you will grow deeper in your love and commitment to our Lord, more thankful than ever for the sacrifice He made on our behalf to give us eternal life.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We are now in the season of Lent. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and culminating in Holy Week, Lent includes forty weekdays and six Sundays, which are reminiscent of the forty days that our Lord Jesus spent in the wilderness. During this season, the Church proclaims, remembers, and responds in gratitude and faith to Christ’s atoning death.

Lent is a time for us to wander through our own wilderness; a time to journey with Christ as He “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51) It is a season of spiritual renewal for the whole Church; a time for transformation for us--and our world. It is not an easy time of faith. As we stop and take a serious look at ourselves and our relationship with Jesus, we might not like what we see. Honest investigation may expose how lax and careless we have become and how sin has infected us. We see again our desperate need for a Savior--and realize again what it cost our Lord Jesus to follow His Father’s will and to suffer and die for our sin and salvation.

Jesus stood by His word and followed through with His reason for being on this earth. He identified fully with the destiny to which His words carried Him: His painful death on the cross of Calvary.

What about us? Will we stand by our word? With the vows and promises and commitments we have made to Jesus since we said “Yes!” to Him as our Savior and Lord? Will we follow through with all that Jesus asks of us; with the burden He has placed on us to be a transformational presence in our broken world, just as He was? Will we stand with Jesus, and journey with Him on this difficult road to Jerusalem?

To His Last Supper, to Gethsemane, to the trial, torture, and abandonment He endured, all the way to Golgotha, and His cruel crucifixion and death? What does it look like for us to stand with Jesus in these 40 days of Lent?

As you ponder the meaning of this holy season, take time to walk more closely with Christ, to fully appreciate his death and resurrection and it’s meaning for you--and the world. Consider again the implications of what it means to call yourself a disciple of Jesus. It is a weighty matter! Words are costly. Promises come due. Vows must be lived out and carried through, even when it is inconvenient and unpleasant to do so. To what might Jesus be calling you this Lenten season? How will standing with Jesus during these 40 days play out in your life? What will it cost you to journey with Christ to Calvary? Evaluate your priorities, your commitments, and the state of your relationship with Christ. Use these weeks to deal with sin in your life.

Let it be crucified, once and for all, just as Christ was on Good Friday. Lent literally means “springtime,” when the barreness of winter is past, colors change, and flowers begin to bud. Stand with Him, follow through--and come forth, raised to new life this Easter with Christ, our Lord!