The Opportunity of Lent
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
“So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?
Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him,
to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul…”
Deuteronomy 10:12
Dear Friends,
This Sunday is our last Sunday of “worshiping in the catacombs.” We have been reminded of the promises of God represented in those 3rd Century drawings of the early Christians:
· The Baptism of Jesus – When we are baptized into the death of Jesus, we are also baptized into the resurrection of Jesus.
· Noah’s Ark – Just as God provided the ark to Noah to save him, Jesus Christ provides an “ark” to carry us through the portal of death to new life.
· The Good Shepherd – We have nothing to fear because we have the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
· The Fiery Furnace – When we stand strong in our faith, God will deliver us.
· Jonah – Just as Jonah was delivered from the belly of the fish on the third day, so also Jesus was delivered from the tomb on the third day.
· Christ, the Alpha and Omega – Christ is humanity’s beginning and end.
Next Wednesday, Feb. 18th, is Ash Wednesday—the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time of reflection where we journey with Christ toward Holy Week by focusing on our own walk with God. In preparation for Lent, I invite you do a personal inventory on how your spiritual life and discipleship life is going. I’m going to share a couple of different “lenses” which may help you in this self-assessment.
The first one is looking at a holistic view of a Christian life:
1) How is your personal relationship with Jesus?
Disciplines of prayer and daily devotional time (Scripture reading) strengthen this aspect.
2) How is your relationship with Jesus’ community, the Church?
Developing a practice of attending worship, participating in ministries and serving each other strengthen this aspect.
3) How is your relationship with Jesus’ mission?
Jesus came to make a difference in the world. Developing a practice of inviting people to church, talking about faith with others, being of service to neighbours and people in need strengthen this aspect of the Christian life.
Another more specific way to assess one’s faith life is the Marks of Discipleship. These are verbs that describe the actions of what Christians do:
· Worship – What practice could you take on regarding participating in worship?
Maybe commit to weekly worship attendance or some special worship activity each day or week.
· Pray – How can you deepen your prayer life?
Maybe take on daily prayer or trying different methods like meditation, Praying in Colour, or praying with others.
· Study – What would deepen your engagement with God’s Word?
Maybe a daily devotional time or participating in a study group.
· Give – What practices will help you experience the joy of trusting God with your money and finances?
Maybe increase or become more regular with your giving. Consider giving as much to the church as you give to the phone companies to have a smart phone. Maybe “fast” from a luxury or indulgence during Lent and give the money/time that would have gone to that to God.
· Serve – Where could you… be “inconvenienced” in order to make life better for someone else? Maybe take on a volunteer role or focus on doing acts of service each day.
· Invite – How might you develop your muscle about sharing the good news of Jesus with others? Maybe inviting someone each week to come to worship or another church event with you.
· Encourage – How might you improve your ability to build others up with what you say and do? Maybe intentionally calling, texting, or writing someone each day to lift their spirits.
· Forgive (this is one that I add) – Where are you carrying around resentment, guilt, dislike or animosity?
Maybe take on reconciling with someone from a place of forgiveness… or praying for the ability to forgive.
I hope this equips you to have a meaningful Lent and allows you to walk more closely with your God.
Peace,
Pastor Phil
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