Lent - A Season of Christian Worship

I was asked to assist in an Ash Wednesday service to begin this season of Lent. I thought I would share with each of you what I shared with the congregation last night...

Lent is a season of worship focused on spiritual renewal for each of us individually and as a community. It is 40 days focused on seeking God and His will for our lives. For some of us, that may mean reading God’s word more…for others it may mean spending more time in prayer…For all of us, it is a time to absorb God’s call for us, and to examine ourselves to find the areas in our day to day life that still need to be given over to Him.

Historically, Christians have observed Lent in order to prepare their minds, bodies, and souls for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the celebration of His resurrection. The entire church body was involved,

…members of the Body fasted, studied God’s word, and prayed,
…new converts were prepared during this time by the leaders of the church for Holy baptism,
…and those who had been separated from the church body due to sin spent this time in a spirit of repentance as they expressed to God their sorrow over their sin and their desire to turn away from it, to be forgiven, and to walk the narrow path again.

Through all of this, the whole body of Christ was reminded of the true message of the Gospel…that while we were still sinners, unable to do, say, or think anything that would save us from eternal separation from God, Jesus Christ died for us so that we could be forgiven and enter into a relationship of Grace and Mercy with the God of all creation. We are redeemed only through the sacrifice of Jesus. There was, and still is, absolutely nothing we can do to save ourselves.

We are wholly and completely dependent upon Jesus…

Brothers and Sisters, this is the primary purpose of Lent…to remind us that we are utterly dependent upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Nothing in this world of flesh sustains us, not money, not big houses, not material possessions, not having the right friends, not getting that promotion, not times of vegging out in front of the television, not being the smartest, strongest, or the nicest…not even food, for “it is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Are there words that God has been speaking to you recently, or maybe for quite a while, that you have not heard or listened to? Maybe you have been relying too heavily on this world to sustain you? Maybe you are not hearing God clearly because you are not depending solely on Him to sustain you. God is speaking to each and every one of us. Are you listening for His words?

I invite you to observe this Holy Lent season by sacrificing those things in your world which are causing static in the signal between you and God. Make the next 40 days,

…a time of repentance and prayer
…a time of self denial and sacrifice
…a time of study and meditation on God’s Word
…a time to focus on what God’s will is for your life.

It begins with the mark of the ashes which reminds us that our bodies are mortal,
and climaxes with the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which allows for our souls to be with Him eternal.