Tag: Liturgical Calendar

Lent 2022 Series

In this season we are looking to bring into clearer focus the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was incarnated in Jesus as he died on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day.

Tomorrow we begin the season in the Christian calendar called Lent. The season of Lent is a time of contemplation and preparation. It is a time when we refrain from indulging in certain things for the sake of our souls.

It is not that continuing with the normal rhythm of life is bad or wrong. It’s just that in this season we are looking to bring into clearer focus the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was incarnated in Jesus as he died on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day.

In the season of Lent, we contemplate the reality of sin and the impact it has on our lives in our journey of faith. We take the time to look back at where we have been and to look forward to where we are going. This time of reflection and contemplation serves to prepare us for what we will be celebrating on Resurrection Sunday morning.

Lent is also a time of preparation. This means we are looking forward to the fulfilled hope of Christ’s resurrection. The regular rhythm of the liturgical calendar provides us with a framework that helps us to remember how the promises of God have been fulfilled throughout the passage of time. This continual call to preparation will persist until Christ returns. We need to be reminded that until we see the fulfillment of our redemption when we have finally entered into God’s eternal rest, we must not lose sight or lose heart along the way.

The journey of the Christian faith should be a steady and persistent walk with God. What this means for us on a daily basis is that in spite of the challenges we might encounter we can trust in God’s goodness toward us.

And so we enter the season of Lent. Readying ourselves to celebrate the great gift of salvation and the resurrection of Christ. But also recognizing that in order to properly appreciate this gift of grace we must put our hearts in a proper posture to receive.

I invite you to read the reflections and devotions over the next several weeks. Meditate on the ideas discussed. Pause when led to do it. Pray a little more than you may feel comfortable. Read Scripture seeking to hear rather than to be informed. In these small and simple practices, we cultivate the kind of faith that endures difficult times.

For many of us taking the time to consider where God has brought us can be challenging. But it is worth the effort and I invite you to join this journey towards Easter morning as we contemplate various ideas over the next few weeks.

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Lent 2019: Forsaking all for the sake of Christ

It truly is amazing how something as simple as the liturgical calendar can help you to refocus your attention on what God is doing in the world and in your life.

I was reintroduced to the liturgical calendar when I began serving in a United Methodist Church in the winter of 2009. I knew that some traditions of the Church used a calendar to mark the seasons, but I did not grow up with it. Or at least it was not something at the top of my consciousness as a regular churchgoer.

It truly is amazing how something as simple as the liturgical calendar can help you to refocus your attention on what God is doing in the world and in your life. As I have embraced this new awareness and rhythm in my own life, I have found myself more mindful and present to God’s work.

Today is Ash Wednesday. The ashes imposed on the foreheads of believers during the service are the burned remains of the palms of previous years Palm Sunday. (At least that is what I was told they were supposed to be!) There are a few reasons for this, but for me, one symbol this represents is that we all must embrace our own culpability in the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus entered the great city of Jerusalem and was welcomed by a throng of people declaring that he was the long-awaited Messiah. And yet, just days later, many of those who welcomed him to the city was denying and decrying him as a criminal.

The cost of following Jesus is enacted when we accept our own part in the drama of Ash Wednesday. Where our lipservice and empty praise is burned up and all that is left is the black ash of sin. We all must remember that we are dust, and to dust, we shall return. The only hope we have is found in the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel is the telling (and retelling) of the old story that all of humanity can never ascend into God’s throne room. We must be brought in by one who is worthy. And that one is Jesus.

The purpose of the season of Lent is to call us all to intentionally forsake some convenience or habit so that we might dedicate time and energy to God. The practice of forsaking the things of this world for the sake of Christ should not be limited to a few weeks a year. It is the life-long call to obedience we have accepted as disciples of Christ. But, we forget to do it. And, because we do, the Church calendar make it a point to call us back to this important discipline. My prayer in this season of Lent is that I would see my forsaking of the things of this world as a gift and not a chore. As an opportunity and not an obstacle. As a time for renewal and not a season of toil.

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