Got Lent?

So what is Lent? Lent is actually what Christian circles have come to call the 40 days before lent. The origin of which was not so much Christian, but adopted by Christianity. But the origin is not as important as the reason one experiences it. In other words; the why matters more than the how.

There are many different practices and rituals that have become synonymous with Lent. Some people hold on to the idea of taking on a symbolic suffering throughout the season, in order to experience the sacrificial suffering of Christ. Most of these symbols come in the form of giving up something (alcohol, sweets, a meat), and can become more of an annoying reminder of Lent, and actually a weak imitation of sacrifice.

So how then should we adhere to or experience Lent? Lent should be a time of preparation, a time to prepare for the renewal that Christ offers through the miracle of His celebrated resurrection on Easter Sunday. Only God can take the pain and horror of death and turn it around, defeat it, and offer it to us as a gift for our redemption...Yea God!

Ever heard of compost? I never had, until I visited a friend who had an enormous garden. A compost pile is a gathering place of discarded living matter that has lost its usefulness, its flavor, and its purpose. With time, and a few added ingredients, (soil, moisture and manure), each individual ingredient loses its identity, the pile shrinks and becomes a soil-like, high-energy nourishment for a new crop of garden plants. It is a pile of old, seemingly useless crud, that turns into useful crud that can help new plants grow.

Look what Paul says to the church in Philippi.

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13-14

The past is our old crud, and really should not be something we hold on to. The past is a whole bunch of stuff that has lost its usefulness, flavor, and purpose, much like the ingredients of compost. And just like the ingredients of compost, if we carry these around in our pockets, all we would have is a smelly mess. But if discarded properly, and let go of, they can become the stuff we can use to grow new crops with. Hear what I am saying here...

Lent is a time to let go of past mistakes and prepare for new beginnings. Use the past as an ingredient for future growth, instead of keeping you from moving forward. This will help you celebrate Easter in a completely different way this year. Experience the newness that Christ offers through His victory over death in a whole new way, using the past that got you here, as the fuel to move you to where God is desiring you to go.

Now, if you feel the Lord is leading you into a 40 day period of self-deprivation to draw nearer to Him, more power to you. But, if you’re just observing a tradition of man’s religion, then it won’t serve any purpose except to prove that you can go without something for 40 days.

Ask the Lord for guidance in this and follow the leading of His Holy Spirit.

...just prayin'

In His grip,

Pastor Pat