Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Lent -- It's to die for!

Lent – “It’s to die for!”
Usually I hear that phrase “It’s to die for!” in connection with obscenely delicious chocolate or some other mouth-watering culinary creation.  Sometimes, usually late at night, I forage around in the refrigerator for just such a bite.  But as we enter into this season of Lent on March 9th, we truly are entering into a season “to die for.”

To die for what?  you might wonder.  What’s all this death business about anyway? 

Traditionally, the period of Lent served as the time for people to prepare to be baptized.  After seven weeks of study and prayer, on Easter Sunday, they died to their old selves as they were immersed in the baptismal waters.  And then they were born anew through Christ’s resurrection as they emerged from the waters.  As our Book of Order puts it,

In Baptism, we participate in Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Baptism, we die to what separates us from God and are raised to newness of life in Christ.

Which leads me to the question – what do you need to die to in your life?  What aspects of your life do you need to shed, to lose so that you can more fully embrace the Christian life? 

This dying isn’t necessarily a one-time thing. As the Apostle Paul exclaimed, “I die everyday!” (1 Cor. 15:31).  

Thinking back to chocolate and my refrigerator, Lent is a time of special meals.  We will begin our Lenten observance somewhat differently this year as a congregation.  We will gather on Ash Wednesday, on March 9th at 6:00 p.m. for a simple (yet delicious!) meal of soup, salad and sandwiches in Fellowship Hall.  After we break bread together, we will head up into the sanctuary for our Ash Wednesday service – a service in which ashes will be etched on our foreheads as a reminder of our own mortality and our need to die to this world as we look forward to embracing the hope and new light of resurrection.

Six weeks later, we’ll come together on Maundy Thursday for another meal as we remember the Last Supper and our Lord’s washing of the disciples’ feet.  After that meal, we will again head upstairs for our Tenebrae service in which we witness to the death of our Lord on the cross.

And then on Easter Sunday, we will share in an Easter breakfast which will be followed by a service of joy as we celebrate the new life of Christ in resurrection – and our new life as well. 

All these meals will be tasty. The fellowship will be warm.   The services will be moving. But above all, I know that we have a Savior who is just to die for. 

 Peace and grace,
 Pastor Pat