Lent is coming up quickly. Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, is next week. With Lent fast approaching, it makes me think about the invitation to observe Lent with forty days of self-examination and repentance; with prayer, fasting, self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s Word. Beyond that though, are the voices in my head asking, “What are you giving up for Lent this year?”
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My sleep has been disturbed by many things. On occasion, a recurring nightmare dragged me from sleep into the sinking feeling and elevated heart rate that only a good nightmare can give. While the setting changed, the theme was consistent. I found myself in an unfamiliar sanctuary, hall, or room surrounded by people largely unknown to me. They were ushering me to get up and preach. The problem was I had no sermon prepared. In one version, water begins to rise around my ankles, and I find I’m actually in a big boat, sinking, while the people want to know what I have to say. This is a very typical nightmare for someone who spends lots of time talking in front of people. I lost a book the other day. It is a dreaded phrase. I searched and searched my bookshelf and I just couldn’t find it. I searched, and I searched again. I pondered whether I had lent the book out to someone else. My brain couldn’t recall lending it out. I then searched again because I have this habit of not really looking. I have to ask my wife Jen all the time to find things for me because I tend to scan past them. I was determined to find this book without asking for help. Upfront warning: Some may think that I am being blatantly political in this article. In our culture, that is how you earn the title “Bad Pastor” from some. I would counter that my message here is only peripherally about politics. It is primarily about faithfulness and justice. However, when we talk about feeding the hungry (a command from God throughout the scriptures) we often end up treading on matters related to the King, the President, the Governor, or the Legislature. The ancient Church adhered to a tradition of publicly announcing the dates of Easter, along with other festivals that lacked a fixed date. Given that the Epiphany (January 6) is a fixed date and it marks the final significant fixed-date feast before transitioning into the Easter cycle, characterized by moveable dates, it served as an opportune moment to declare the dates of Easter and other moveable observances.
I just ate a donut that was growing stale in the workroom. I planned to begin my new day with some yoga, walking, and a time of prayer. I went for the snooze button and instead turned the alarm off. Falling back into a pleasant slumber, I awakened with just enough time to get out the door for my first appointment of the day. It is only January 3rd. My resolutions and my resolve lie in shambles all around. I am, once again, a failure. I have fallen into sin, and I cannot free myself – again. When you think of two things being opposites perhaps, like me, you think of things that do not go together. Perhaps they even repel each other. The truth, however, is that polar opposites are dependent on each other. The North Pole can only be a pole if there is a South Pole. A battery needs both a positive pole and a negative pole to work. The theme we have selected for Advent this year is a prayer, a plea, an appeal, for God to come and be with us. Emmanuel (no matter how you spell it) means, “God with us.” So, this most recognizable of Advent entreaties is a simple call for God’s presence. It is a cry of hope, with more than a hint of desperation included. |
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