Lent

     We are in the season of Lent, a period of 40 days prior to Easter beginning on Ash Wednesday.  Traditional definitions describe Lent as a period of penitence for those who have been baptized.  Penitence is defined as the condition of being sorrowful and remorseful for the sins one has committed.  Remorseful is defined as being full of a deep and painful regret for wrongdoing.  Ok, that’s enough time with the dictionary.

     So, we can think of Lent as a time when we want to spend 40 days being sorrowful or 40 days of being filled with a deep and painful regret.  No thanks!  It sounds like I’d rather volunteer to go have a root canal done.  At least a dentist would give me Novocain.

     Is this a draw to bring new people into Christian fellowship with us?  Hey, come join us.  We’re headed for Easter, but stop in early and be part of our deep and painful regret experience.

     I like to take some of the words we are accustomed to using in church and dig around to see if there’s more to them than what we get in our typical definitions.  I’m not throwing out the standard definitions, but rather I think that if we can broaden our understanding of some of our terms then we become much more capable of making them meaningful in our lives.

     Let’s start with the word, ‘sin.’  Rather than a long list of rules which we occasionally or frequently break, I understand sin to be about broken relationships.  Forget the rules!  Do you want broken relationships or healthy relationships (either with God or with people)?  If we can make a choice, I think we will normally choose healthy relationships.

     When we have a broken relationship, we will sometimes want to work at mending it.  We want to change a broken relationship into a healthy one.  That is how I would define the word repent.  So penitence is a condition of wanting to change a broken relationship into a healthy relationship.  Sorrow and regret come along naturally with the condition of a broken relationship.  If we are guilty of having done something that caused a broken relationship, then a deep and painful regret typically come along with it.

     But to repent is to turn towards healing and to let go of the brokenness and the sadness and sorrow that went along with it.  To see that indeed healing can happen is a cause for joy and celebration.

     A first step towards healing a relationship is recognizing the brokenness.  Sadness and regret come along with that.  I want to see Lent as a time that we turn towards healing and seeking healthy and loving relationships with God and with people in our lives.  I want to see Lent as a time when joy and celebration are building and rising to the pinnacle of Easter morning.

     The Bible tells over and over that God wants us to turn to him and God will rejoice when we do.  A favorite image of mine comes from Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son where just the sight of the long lost son headed for home, causes the father (that is God) to come running out to meet him, filled with joy at the prospect of the son returning home.  I think that is the attitude we can bring to this season of Lent as we move towards the joy of Easter morning.

             May God bless you,

                  Pastor Duane