Our prompt for Lent was framed with the
following questions: “How do you observe Lent? What impact does the time of
leading up to Easter mean to you, your faith and your writing?”
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In past years, my Easter preparation has
been to read a Gospel, or read books such as Lee Strobel’s The Case for
Christ. This year, however, I wanted to engage more deeply in the meaning
and beauty of Lent. Not coming from a Liturgical background, I researched both the
history and regular practices of Lent. One helpful resource was SharonEspeseth’s earlier blogs on Lent. She challenged us to wake up our souls for
Lent through goals, reading devotionals, prayer, repentance, fasting, and
almsgiving.
Sharon’s concept of “waking up” resonated
with me. It’s pre-spring, and in spring we wake up to new life after the cold,
dark days of winter. Birds will soon return, and early spring flowers will poke
through the soil. Just so, Lent is meant to awaken our spirits to its meaning.
(The word “Lent” actually comes from the Old English meaning of “spring”!)
While we’re only a few days into Lent,
God is already awakening me to focus on several important components.
Time with God
Several days ago, God prompted me to
spend extended time with Him. Doing so fits into Lent’s second meaning: “slow”
in Latin, a time we slow down to put our lives in order and to clarify
priorities—like spiritual housecleaning. Without first spending time with God,
I could become too absorbed in Lent’s self-examination, and my spirit can
become heavy with my needs and the needs of others. How much I need to be
reminded of Nehemiah’s words to his people: “The Joy of the Lord is your
strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Confession and Repentance
God has awakened my spirit to greater confession
and repentance, common practices of Lent. "Search me O God," the
psalmist David wrote (Psalm 139:23-24). While self-examination is important,
the Spirit points to areas that I need to confess. The Book of Common Prayer
sums it up well: “We have left undone those things which we
ought to have done; and we have done
those things which we ought not to have done.” We also confess
things that have become too important—idols--including vices outlined in Galatians
5:19-21 and Ephesians 5:3-15
Collective Confession
Confession for me means going beyond
myself to confess and call Canada back to God, especially during the current
and past turbulences. My prayer has become, “If my people, who are called by my
name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and
will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Self-denial
A good friend described self-denial as a sacrifice,
giving up something that’s hard to do. Perhaps excesses or preoccupations or
distractions. For me, that means cutting cut down on coffee. Also, with living
alone, I have a lot of time to myself. God has prompted me to spend more time
with my extended family—through phone calls, emails/texts, visits, and
invitations. I know there will be more self-denials to come.
Fasting to “Give It up for Freedom”
Scriptures teach that through self-denial
and fasting, we can free ourselves and others from injustice and
oppression (Isaiah 58:6-12). The International Justice Ministry has challenged
me this Lent to “Give it up for freedom”, giving what money I save from my
excesses to help stop slavery.
As I’ve begun formal practices of Lent, I’m focusing more and more on why
I’m observing this season. “Jesus came to defeat the Devil and Death,”
wrote Barry Krammes, “but He also came to apply His victory to our daily lives.
As we carefully examine ourselves we become keenly aware of our
short-comings and sins but at the same time we are filled with
overwhelming joy as we meditate on Jesus’ life and how He endured the cross for
our salvation.”[i]
God is ready to awaken our spirits, not
only during Lent, but also throughout the year. I pray you would have a
listening ear and tender heart to respond to the “deep, deep love of Jesus”.
For reflection:
As you describe your pre-Easter
or Lenten journey this year, what principles help you most to focus on what Christ has done for you? How can your blog
encourage your readers?
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