Ministers Desk 19th February 2012

This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.  For many centuries Christ followers have participated in the discipline of Lent as an opportunity to sharpen their vision of the kingdom of God, closer align themselves to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and to further grow in their discipleship.  Again this year our congregation will participate in the discipline of Lent.  Please see Lent as an opportunity to experience transformation and growth as we turn away from the “things” that crowd our lives and turn more fully and intentionally to the call of discipleship that Jesus makes to us.

During Lent we give something up that is ordinarily a pleasure for us.  In past years I have given up coffee, my family don’t allow me to do this anymore.  This year I have chosen to give up sweet food – chocolate, cakes, desserts.  Many of you know that I have an incredibly sweet tooth, I could very happily live without ever eating something savoury.  Yet, for the sake of relying more fully on God, I’m going to make this my commitment for the period of Lent.  What is it that you’re going to give up?

 Any money that we save can then be donated to our Community Helping Hand.  In this way we enter more fully into Jesus’ sacrificial giving of himself for others.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).  Lent helps remind us that life and discipleship is not about us, it is about our willingness to give ourselves for the sake of others.  As we voluntarily go without something we stand in solidarity with the people of our community who have to go without involuntarily.  Standing in solidarity with our poor and needy neighbours identifies ourselves with Christ and his ministry in this world.  In Matthew 26:31 – 46 Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and the goats.  The sheep who are rewarded are the ones who stood in solidarity with the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, homeless and prisoners and in doing so stood in solidarity with Christ himself. 

Our participation in Lent is a spiritual discipline.  Each day during Lent there will be bible readings and suggestions for prayer.  I encourage you to use these with your current daily readings, or instead of them.  There is provided each day a reading and a short suggestion for prayer.  As you read the passage you may want to ask yourself two questions.  The first is to ask what you hear God saying to you.  The second is to ask yourself how this applies to your life right now.  Is it instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life?  As you ask yourself these questions you might find it helpful to write the answers in a journal.  You can then keep them together and reflect on your spiritual journey.  After you have read and thought, use the prayer suggestion to talk further with God.

Please participate in Lent this year as a means of furthering your surrender to God and his kingdom in this world.