“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…” – Acts of the Apostles 3:17-19
Call it… “REFRESH23…” here, there and everywhere… and I can’t help myself after all these years and even though I teased about it just a little in last week’s post… I can say with confident and humble enthusiasm… the season of Lent is knocking on the door… my favorite time of the year and an opportunity for each one of us to engage in some thoughtful reflection. Are you ready? Faith Matters. It does!
Lent is the oldest of the seasons built into the ancient Christian church year… when it comes to spiritual calisthenics of the heart and mind! Many find these 40 days helpful. Others ignore them completely and even some chuckle within when ‘church folks’ talk about it as it sure sounds a lot like belly button fuzz… but all of us understand the value of checking up on ourselves… looking within… pondering deeper than navel gazing… taking genuine stock in oneself whether it be an NFL coach or player who just lost the Superbowl or whether a nurse’s accreditation is up for renewal or even when a school teacher insists on upping the bar of their classroom abilities… it actually is a good thing… a faith ‘check-up’ that is… but even so… going beyond oneself and taking time to evaluate how things are between us and God… and as pitchers and catchers show up for Spring training in a few short weeks… Christians show up on Ash Wednesday…
During this time of the church year, Christians ponder the unfolding events that led to Jesus’ condemnation and crucifixion… his triumphal march into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; his firm words of warning about the events to come; his sham trial– one of the first historical reports of “fake news”, the brutal scourging, and horrific crucifixion. No movie or painting can depict the truth and no day could be any darker… no travesty more calamitous than the slaying of God’s own beloved Son. And yet, that’s what we find on "the hill of the skull"… Golgotha… our sins demanding his death to satisfy the Father’s righteous judgment. Were you there when they crucified our Lord? Sure you were! We all were! Taken from the cross, the lifeless form of Christ was placed in another man’s tomb. He owned nothing the day he died … yet he was present at creation! With that action the "powers of the day" thought the ordeal complete, the savagery it had witnessed was something it could now put behind it. But God’s work wasn’t quite done. Three days later, out of a sealed tomb—guarded to prevent theft—Jesus rose from the dead. And with that thunderous crescendo, humankind’s disgrace and ruin, which had destined it for eternal slaughter, is forgiven through the blood of Christ.
So… Lent is when we turn our eyes to the cross. It is there where Jesus, the sinless Son of God, suffered the indignity and shame of dying for our sins. And it is there where God’s wrath was satisfied by his beloved Son’s supreme sacrifice, winning salvation for all who call Him their Savior. It’s not about you… it’s all about God… the one who "refreshes" this Lent 2023! Come and own your role in the drama of God… open your Bible and read the Gospel of Mark… or find a good book about Christ and the Church… or talk to a friend and covenant for 40 days to pray for and with each other and by all means… as Mother Teresa used to say… “Go do something good for God” as God knows there’s plenty work to do…
