Message from Pastor David about Lent

Today marks the first day of Lent – a 40 day season of fasting, examining our lives and preparing ourselves for Easter. Lent comes from the English word “lengten” which means “spring” - when days are lengthened and new life springs forth. Lent is a time in which we anticipate the victory of the light and life of Christ over the darkness of sin and death. It corresponds to Jesus' 40 day period of fasting and testing in the wilderness. For Christians, repentance and renewal always go hand in hand. Repentance is a fundamental discipline in our lives that reminds we are weak, unable to change ourselves and must rely completely on God to transform us from within and without. The 16th century Reformer, Martin Luther, taught that the Christian life is one of continual repentance, beginning with when we first commit our lives to Christ and continuing until we are taken by the Lord in glory. We’re learning to turn more and more away from sin and self-centeredness and more towards our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Though repentance should be an ongoing, everyday discipline, it’s appropriate to set aside special seasons, such as Lent, to focus on self-examination, confession of sin, and repentance.Use this time to ask yourself some hard questions about your spiritual life, your spiritual maturity:What are my characteristic sins, and how can I work and pray for change?What idols have captured my imagination so that my love for the living God has grown cold?In what ways is my devotion to Christ and His church less than wholehearted?Have I ignored or turned a blind eye to the needs of the poor, oppressed and those in suffering? Have material things and goods consumed my heart and mind and tightened their grip on me?Have I been so filled by nibbling at the world’s table that I’ve lost my hunger and appetite for God and His Word?As we do so, it is crucial that also keep our eyes on the gospel. The gospel tells us we are more sinful and flawed than we ever realized, but more loved than we can imagine. In Christ, we are more accepted, forgiven and loved than we ever dared hope. Gospel repentance and renewal will always take the shape of the cross – repentance from sin and idolatry and hope and joy in the finished work of Christ. Many Christians around the world today mark the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. In the Bible, ashes symbolize mortality (Genesis 3:19), are used to express grief (Isaiah 61:3) and are also a sign of repentance (Luke 10:13). At the beginning of Lent, some church traditions burn palms used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration and use the ash to mark a cross on the forehead of members of their congregation. This reminds them of their mortality and prompts them to examine their hearts and get right with God.For many, Ash Wednesday is also the beginning of a season of fasting. Some people give up sugary or fatty foods, while others choose a well-loved treat, social media, alcohol, or TV or entertainment, to go without for the 40 days of Lent. Whenever I give something up, it tastes all the sweeter when I finally sink my teeth into it at the end of my fast. Fasting is a means of growing our hunger for God and His presence and to curb our worldly appetites so as not to love the world and nor the things in the world (1 John 3:15-17). Is God inviting me to give something up this Lent to help make resurrection Sunday all the sweeter to celebrate? Church family, I pray we would enter this season with holy sobriety, self-examination and a desire for more of God. We will provide some spiritual resources by way of devotions written by our very own brothers and sisters to encourage you. May you be truly blessed and may the Lord grant you a holy Lent. Matthew 5:3-10 (The “Be Attitudes” of Jesus) 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Grace & Peace, Pastor David