February 28 – The Second Sunday in Lent

I realize that yesterday’s post somehow slipped my mind and for that I apologize.  Instead of trying to backtrack and catch-up we’ll just continue.

Philippians 3:17 – 4:1

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Luke 13:31 – 35

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”

These are two of the lectionary texts for today.  As I was reading through them I began to think, “why on earth are these two passages of scripture put together in the middle of Lent?”  The more and more I thought about this question, the more I realized that both of these passages speak deeply about the pull and tension within our hearts that Lent helps us to notice.

Paul, in writing to the Philippians tells them that there are some who, even though they may sound and act like Christians, actually live as though they are “enemies of the Cross of Christ.”  They put themselves first, they seek to glorify themselves.  To put it in context of the video I posted on friday, they are living the first story – the story of Adam.  These people fit in well with the world because they have not died to self.  But Paul says, we (those who are not enemies of the Cross) we belong elsewhere.  We, as Paul says, have “our citizenship in heaven.”  We, just as Psalm 137 declares, are living in Exile.  We live here, but our home is with Christ.

Well, what about the Gospel reading for today?  Jesus has his mind firmly fixed on the cross.  He is on his way and with this in mind you can almost hear the emotion in his voice as he calls to Jerusalem.  He describes his deep longing to gather his people together to him and yet they are not willing.  He longs for them and they reject his embrace.

It seems to me that these two scripture passages paint for us the deep struggle in our lives that is illumined during Lent.  God calls to us and Jesus longs to embrace us, but so often we are not willing to accept his embrace.  So often we’re like the people Paul describes – enemies of the Cross of Christ.  We have it stuck in our minds that we know the way God works and how he should do things.  We set ourselves up and we desire our own success and reject the mind of Christ.

The goal of Lent and the goal of the Christian life is to realize this tendency in ourselves.  As we realize our bent toward sin and self-exaltation we can begin to empty ourselves and say no to our self-will.  We can begin to set our eyes not on the glory of this world but on Heaven – the place of our true citizenship.  By doing this we can run into the arms of Christ.  This is the call of Lent – dying to self so that we may live in Christ.

Which description describes you?  Are you living like an enemy of the Cross and trying to exalt your self or are you running into the arms of Jesus even if the world rejects you?  Are you seeking to gain your life or to lose it in Christ?

“20 Words” – A Short Video for February 26, The Second Friday of Lent

Luke 9:18-26 TNIV

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self? If any of you are ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

I’ve mentioned my good friend JD Walt when I shared his story of the “Ant and the Grasshopper” (here).  Today, I’d like to share with you a short video that JD made.  JD is the VP of Community Life and Dean of the Chapel at Asbury Seminary and he made this video as part of the online devotional that he is doing for the Seminary community.

JD has an amazing way with words.  He can take amazingly deep and complex things and make them seem simple and he can simple things and make them even easier to understand.  He’s one of the reasons that I chose to go to Asbury and since he does such a great job helping us understand today’s scripture I will try to save many of my comments for a later time.

Here’s JD.

Which story are you trying to live in your life?  Are you trying to “save your life” and make a name for yourself or are you seeking to “lose your life” in Jesus Christ.  Are you being lost in your love for God no matter what everyone else thinks?  Hear the call of the words of Jesus today.

By the Waters of Babylon… – Thursday, February 25

Lent is without a doubt one of my favorite seasons of the Church year. I think I love the season of Lent so much because it places my sin, my weakness, my mortality, and my deep need for God at the forefront of my mind. The fasting inconveniences my life and challenges me to think of God at every turn and helps the increased devotional reading pierce my soul in ways it normally wouldn’t.

I really do love Lent because it prepares me for Easter and helps me to clearly see God.

During seminary I heard one of the most beautifully piercing Lenten hymns I’ve ever experienced. This hymn brings me to tears every time I hear it because it reminds me of deep ravine that separates who I am from what I am called to become by the grace of God.  This hymn is based on Psalm 137. Here are a few of the lyrics.

By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Alleluia.

We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Alleluia.

For there they that had taken us captive required of us a song;

and they that had carried us away required of us a hymn, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. Alleluia.

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? Alleluia.

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. Alleluia.

If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem as my chief joy. Alleluia.

Slowly read Psalm 137 and think about what it would be like to be taken from your home and forced to live in another country away from family, friends, and your church.

How does this Psalm speak of Lent? It tells the story of Israel when Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians.  When Jerusalem was captured many of the Israelites were taken off to Babylon (a foreign land) and there they were separated from the place in which they had come to know God – the promised land.  Even removed from the temple, and removed from the promised land (the place they truly belonged) the exiled Israelites chose to worship God and the chose to remember where they came from in hopes of a return.  It reminds us of our condition that we meditate strongly on during Lent – that we too are exiled.

How are we exiled?  We’re exiled in that our sin separates us from God.  Because of the sin of Adam we, just as much as he was, are dead in our sin.  We are separated from God and we longingly wait for the time that we will be united with Christ.  It’s like we’ve been taken off to a different land, just like Israel.  During Lent we wait for Easter.  We wait for the day of our redemption – the day when we will return to the place we belong (full relationship with God).  We wait, but we must keep our hope, we must continue to sing the Lord’s song even in this strange land.  We continue to remember our exile so that when Christ who is our hope is revealed our Joy may be made even more full.

So let us continue our Lenten journey. Let us continue our fast and let us sing the Lord’s song even as we remember our sin, our mortality, and our state of exile from God in which our sin puts us.  But let us never forget that the work of Christ has made it all new.  For this reason we long and hope and wait for the celebration of Easter…the return, if you will, to Jerusalem.

This Psalm also reminds me of more than just Lent.  It reminds me that no matter how bad things get or how dark things seem to be around me, I can still sing God’s songs.  I can still seek God and I can still know that he is close and that he is with me.  Let Psalm 137 be your encouragement today if you need some.

Closing Prayer:

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

–  St. Ignatius of Loyola *

* St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556) was a soldier who became partial crippled after receiving a severe leg wound in combat.  After this injury he decided to live in a cave for a year and contemplate the way to live a Christian life.  His meditations, prayers, and insights, along with his strict military training led to forming the “Constitutions of the Society of Jesus” or a strict religious order known as the Jesuits.

February 24 – The Second Wednesday of Lent

Luke 4:1-13 NIV

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.'”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

” ‘He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'”

Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

We’ve talked a lot about getting rid of the sin in our lives and about saying no to our self-will but sometimes it’s just plain hard.  Sometimes it seems like we’re bombarded from every side with temptations so powerful that we can’t even breath.  During these times it is essential for us to remember that Jesus face temptations just as we did.  In fact the writer of Hebrews, speaking of Jesus, says:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.

– Hebrew 4:15 NRSV

“But that’s Jesus, he doesn’t count!” or “But he’s God he can’t really be tempted!” are two of the more common statements I hear when we talk about this.  While it’s true that Jesus is truly God it is also true that these temptations were completely real.

(This is where we get pretty deep here, but keep pressing on, it’s totally worth it!)

When Jesus (the 2nd person of the Trinity) became human he became everything that we are.  Everything that is truly human Jesus became in order that we might have a deep and true relationship with him.  He took on everything so that we could be free from sin and enjoy a relationship with him forever.

This means that Jesus, being fully human, really faced those temptations.  “But how come he didn’t give in?” You may be asking.  Did he just use the “God-card” to get out of it?  Nope.

The key to Jesus’ ability to resist temptation is found in the first verse of this passage.  Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” and just before he went into the desert he had heard the voice of the Father from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 4:22).

Jesus was focused on God and was mindful of the relationship he had with him.  We too are given the Holy Spirit as Christians and thus are empowered by God to resist temptation.  Sadly, all too often we allow the cares, distractions, and pressures of this world distract us from hearing God’s voice and being attentive to the Spirit dwelling within us.  Lent is a time that helps us to push away these distractions.  It helps us to say “no” to the things that seek to drown out God’s voice.

During Lent we learn discipline and this discipline helps us to hear God’s voice and to be attentive to the Spirit as he guides us on the path towards God.

This past Sunday you hear Pastor Gene mention how Martin Luther (a key figure in the Protestant Reformation) when tempted would yell out “I am baptized!!”  In the identity of our baptism and in the knowledge that we have the Holy Spirit we face temptation just as Jesus did.

May God be our strength both now and always as we face the many temptations of the evil one.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, you faced temptation with confidence in God, suffering with serenity, loneliness with the assurance that your Father would not forsake you, and the cross with an inner spirit of peace.  You endured all things that we might be saved…prepare us for whatever life brings of joy or sorrow so that, being sure of your love, we may be confident of your eternal presence.  Amen.

– Anonymous

February 23 – The First Tuesday of Lent

Opening Prayer:

Deal bountifully with your servant, so that I may live and observe your word.  Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to your word.  My soul melts away from sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.  Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me your law. – Psalm 119:17-18, 25, 28-29

John 8:1-11 NRSV

Early in the morning [Jesus] came again to the temple.  All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women.  Now what do you say?”  They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.  Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.  When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.  Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, sir.”  And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

I love this story.  Not only does Jesus outsmart the crowd trying to test him, but he shows grace and love in abundance to this woman.  Even though she deserves condemnation Jesus shows grace and mercy.  Sometimes though, I overlook one thing in this story.  Sometimes, I focus so much on the grace and mercy of Jesus that I forget his final statement to the women.  “Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

I think this scripture passage is very appropriate for Lent.  Sometimes during Lent we can lose our focus and worry about what we’re “giving up” so much that we forget that not only are we called to fast from certain things during Lent (food, drink, etc) but we’re also called in all of our life (and especially in Lent) to fast from the sin that is in our lives.  Jesus’ call to us at all times is “from now on do not sin again.”

One of the most famous preachers in all of Church history once put it this way:

I speak not, indeed of such a fast as most persons keep, but of real fasting; not merely an abstinence from meats; but from sins too… the honor of fasting consists not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices…Do you fast?  Give me proof of it by your works!…If you see a poor man, take pity on him!  If you see an enemy, be reconciled to him!  If you see a friend getting honored, do not envy him!…For let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and the ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our bodies.  Let the hands fast, by being pure from stealing and greed.  Let the feet fast, by not running to sinful places.  Let the eyes fast, being taught never to look lustfully at another person.  For looking is the food of the eyes,…Let the ear fast also.  The fasting of the ear consists in refusing to listen to gossip and lies…Let the mouth too fast from foul words and unjust criticism…

– St. John Chrysostom, Homily III on the Statues, 11-12 *

May God help us all hear the words of Jesus: “from now on do not sin again” and may we have strength to continue this fast from both what we have “given up” and from the sins that so easily grab us.  Amen.

* St. John Chrysostom (347 – 407) is one of the most famous preachers in Christian history.  As Bishop of Constantinople (in modern-day Turkey) he constantly held up the needs of the poor even though he preached to the emperor.  Chrysostom’s preaching is blunt and honest and as such it made him many enemies.  He spent the last years of his life in exile, but is still regarded as one of the most eloquent preachers in the history of the Church – so much so that history remembers him as “golden mouth.”  I have modernized the quoted part of this sermon to make it a little easier to understand.

The Ant and the Grasshopper: A Story For The First Monday of Lent (February 22)

Do you remember the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper from when you were a kid?

I remember seeing the story in a cartoon as a small child, but it wasn’t until I recently read something that I realized how profound and theological this story can truly be with just a small change.  You’ll never guess how simple the change in the story is – simple enough a 3rd grader can get it.

My friend JD Walt recounted this story the other day.  You can find the full post here or just read below in the quotes:

A third-grade teacher gave a creative writing assignment to her class.

“I’m going to tell you the beginning of a story, and your task is to write a creative and imaginative ending. There was once an ant and a grasshopper. The ant worked hard all summer, storing up food for the winter. The grasshopper played all summer and did no work. Winter came and the grasshopper, starving to death, went to the ant’s house. ‘Mr. Ant, my family and I have no food, and we will not last through the winter. You have plenty for your family and enough for us. Would you share?’ Now write the ending.”

One of the little girls, Lisa, shot her hand into the air. “Yes, Lisa,” responded the teacher.

“Can I draw a picture instead of writing the ending?”

“Yes Lisa,” she replied, “You may draw a picture, but you must also write the ending.”

The bigger question: How would you write the ending of the story? Better yet: How are you writing the ending of the story?

The papers came streaming in. As always, a few papers proffered this sad ending: “So the ant said, ‘No, Mr. Grasshopper! There’s only enough food for me and my family. You don’t deserve any food. You should have worked in the summer.’ And the grasshopper died.” Most of the papers came in with the traditional ending. I call it the Veggie Tales ‘God likes it when we share’ ending. “So the ant shared his food with the grasshopper and they all lived happily ever after.” But there was one more paper. Remember Lisa, the girl who wanted to draw a picture? When her paper came in, the teacher, visibly disturbed, proceeded to call her mother. She recounted the assignment saying, “In my fifteen years of teaching this class and giving this assignment, I have never seen this ending.” Here’s how Lisa finished the story:

“So the ant gave all his food to the grasshopper. And the ant died.”

And underneath the ending she had drawn a picture of three crosses.

Did you see that ending coming?  How does this fit with the scripture we’ve been reading the past few days from Philippians.  Can you see the correlation?

Slowly Read Philippians 2:1-11 again a couple of times.

After recounting this story my friend JD continues (emphasis added):

There are only Two Stories: The story of Adam and the story of Jesus Christ.

So which story is being written through your life, your family, your community? It depends entirely on which story you remember. The story of Adam, symbolized by /\, is the story of life referenced around self, one who climbs up only to fall down. The story of Christ, symbolized by \/, is the story of life referenced around God, a willful descent into humility and a surprising ascent into embrace.

Few of us reading this would willfully allow the grasshopper to die. At the same time, few if any of us came up with Lisa’s answer. Most of us fall somewhere in the dangerous, sleepy, seductive middle; mired in the mind of Adam. We want to surrender our self, but the best we can muster is to share our stuff. Why is this? Meister Eckhart, writing in the 18th century, says it well. “There are plenty who follow our Lord half way, but not the other half. They will give up possessions, friends and honors, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves.” It’s why Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing in the 20th century famously penned, “When Christ calls a disciple, he bids him come and die.” It’s why Jesus stunningly said in the first century, “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it, but whoever keeps their life will lose it.”

Lisa’s “Ant” forgot it’s “self” and risked everything on a resurrection. This is precisely what Jesus did, and it’s what he calls us to do.

JD is right, this story is what saying “no” to our self-will looks like.  Who would have thought that such a deep and profound example of the mind of Christ would have come from a story for children?  During Lent we journey to the cross.  We empty ourselves through discipline and focus that we may truly be more like Jesus.

How are you living out the mind of Christ in your life?  Let this time of Lent be a time where you learn to let go of the things you hold so closely in your life so that God can freely form you into who he is calling you to be.

Prayer of Response:

O Lord and master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.  O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother or sister for blessed are you always.  Amen

– The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem *

* St. Ephrem (306-376) was a Christian who lived in Syria.  He spent most of his life writing hymns, poems, and other theological works.  This prayer is commonly prayed by many Christians all over the world during Lent.

Sunday February 21 – First Sunday in Lent

So far we’ve spent a lot of time talking about “the mess we’re in” and how Lent is about recognizing that.  We read yesterday about how Jesus humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross and how we are called to emulate that humility.

This mess  and this call to being like Jesus is a hard task.  It seems daunting especially because the more we try to follow him the more we seem to fall.  But fear not, failure is not the end.  Just as Paul’s description of Jesus’ humility doesn’t end with the cross so our journey doesn’t end in staying in our mess.

Let’s look at the same passage we read yesterday but continue a little further.

Philippians 2:1-11

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death–

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

In Christian tradition every Sunday is a little mini-Easter.  We gather together to remember the resurrection and to celebrate the full work of Christ.  In this passage we get a glimpse of where our Lenten journey is taking us.  Yes, it is taking us to the cross and but it is also taking us beyond that.  It is taking us to Easter Sunday – the day we fully celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

To truly get to Easter we must walk the way of the cross these 40 days.  We must remember the mess that we are in and we must remember continue to say no to our self-will.  Sure the task seems daunting and we seem that we will always fall, but the bible continues to assure us that it can be done.  Jesus us calls us to perfection (Matthew 5:48) and though it may be a long way off that is the goal to which we strive.  Lent reminds us that Christian perfection comes through denying our self and taking up our cross.

Let us celebrate the resurrection today as we get a glimpse of the glory of Easter in the midst of this Lenten Journey.

Amen.

Saturday February 20 – First Saturday of Lent

Yesterday we read Paul’s words in Romans about being a living sacrifice and being humble.  Paul talks about humility and self-sacrifice all through his letters and nowhere does it take more concrete shape than in the book of Philippians.

Philippians 2:1-8 NRSV

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that wasa in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death–

even death on a cross.

Read through this scripture passage a few times.  Think about the extend that Jesus humbled himself for us break it down line by line and read it slowly.  Take some time to thank Jesus for his humility and sacrifice.  Ask him to help you to have the “same mind” that he had so that you can truly be a living sacrifice.

Prayer of Response:

Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.  We have failed to be an obedient church.  We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy.  Forgive us, we pray.  Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

– Communion Prayer of Confession, United Methodist Book of Worship

February 19 – First Friday in Lent

Romans 12:1-3, 9-13, 21 NRSV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

…..

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

…..

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I came across this scripture on thursday via a friend’s blog where he made the comment that “no other single passage, it seems to me, manages to gather as many aspects of the Lenten life” as this passage does.  I think that my friend is right.  If you have time take a few moments and read all of Romans 12 again (not just the parts I typed here).

Lent helps us to become the living sacrifice that Paul describes in this passage.  Lent is about more than just giving up something, it’s about depriving ourselves of things so that we can recognize our need for repentance and humility with our whole being – body and soul.

Fasting leads us to a life of repentance.  Repentance in its biblical form entails not just a forgiveness for an act of sin but also a turning of the mind.  In repentance we turn our whole selves so that we may follow Christ and not our sin.  In order to truly repent we must, as Paul says, be a living sacrifice not just once, but always.

The Lenten Fast, so says my friend, is “like all things in the gospel, is ultimately an act of love.  It is an act of love for it is a training in the sacrifice of self.  Having denied ourselves in such small things (such as abstaining form various foods and drink), we learn to deny ourselves in much larger things – such as pride and anger, self-love and envy.  By God’s grace such efforts are molded into the image of Christ – who Himself began His ministry with a fast of 40 days – and this for love.”

As you walk through this Lenten journey remember to be humble and to love others.  Ask God to help you become a living sacrifice not just today, but every day of your life so that you can truly “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Closing Prayer:

O Lord and master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.  O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother or sister for blessed are you always.  Amen

– The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem *

* St. Ephrem (306-376) was a Christian who lived in Syria.  He spent most of his life writing hymns, poems, and other theological works.  This prayer is commonly prayed by many Christians all over the world during Lent.

What a Mess – Thoughts for February 18

Grab a Bible and Read: Genesis 1:26-2:3

A few months back I went to a concert down in Myrtle Beach with my friend Nate.  The band was Switchfoot, a band that I’ve been listening to since I was in high school.  Amidst all the songs that I knew by heart they played a song from their new album Hello Hurricane.  The song was called “Mess of Me” and from the first moment I heard it I was mesmerized by the incredibly theological content of the lyrics.

Here is a sampling of the lyrics that struck me (emphasis added): click here to see the video on youtube

I am my own affliction
I am my own disease
There ain´t no drug that they could sell
Ah there ain´t no drug to make me well
There ain´t no drug

There ain´t no drug
There ain´t no drug
It´s not enough
The sickness is myself

I made a mess of me I wanna get back the rest of me
I made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my life alive
I made a mess of me I wanna the get back rest of me
I made a mess of me I wanna spend the rest of my live alive
The rest of my life alive!

As I sit and think about it, this song sort of describes Lent.  The journey of Lent is about recognizing the fact that we are in a sad state of affairs.  Lent, especially Ash Wednesday, is about recognizing that we are created in the image of God, we are called to resemble him, and yet even despite our best efforts we fail miserably and we return to dust.

In Lent through fasting, meditating on the scriptures, and prayer we recognize this affliction and disease.  The fasting in which we partake helps us to realize that indeed the sickness that cause our failure in resembling our God is actually ourselves!

But fear not, the story doesn’t end there.  There is a way in which we can “spend the rest of our lives alive”, as Switchfoot puts it.  The bad news: the way to living alive is death.  As a friend put it the other day on twitter:  “you’re going to die. but the secret to life is to die before you die.”

Read Matthew 10:37-39

By recognizing our need and fallenness we can begin to say “no” to our self-will and die to our self so that we can truly say “yes” to God and his will.  The more we do this the more we will begin to scrape away the mud of sin that blurs the image of God into which we were created.  My friends, this is the journey of Lent.  This is the way of the Christian life.  We die to self so that we may truly be able to spend the rest of our lives alive to God!

Let us journey together that we may follow Christ in his call to take up our cross, lose our life, and follow him!

Amen!