Tomorrow begins the journey of Lent. This season is my favorite time of the year as a pastor as for me it is the heart of the Christian Faith. Ash Wednesday when we are reminded of our sin, our mortality and our need of the cross of Jesus Christ. The imposition of ashes with the refrain over and over "From dust you came and to dust you shall return" spoken over 200 times is powerful. Then there are the Sundays of Lent, when this year I will be preaching a sermon series on The Lord's Prayer "Lord, Teach us To Pray: Praying and Living the Lord's Prayer". Then, Palm Sunday. Then, Maundy Thursday. Then, Good Friday. Then, Holy Saturday. And finally Easter Sunday and on to Pentecost when I will be preaching a series entitled "Practicing Resurrection" (a title taken from Eugene Peterson) looking at the 40 days between Easter and Pentecost. So as we begin the journey together I offer this prayer from The Book of Order of the Church of Scotland:
Lord Jesus Christ, you refused to turn stones to bread. Save us from using our power, however little, to satisfy the demands of selfishness in the face of the greater needs of others.
Lord Jesus Christ, you refused to leap from the Temple top. Save us from displaying our skills, however modest, to win instant popularity in the face of nobler calls on our abilities.
Lord Jesus Christ, you refused to bend your knee to a false god. Save us from offering our worship and devotion, however weak, to cheap or easy religion in the face of the harder path on which you bid us to follow you.
Lord Jesus Christ, you saw Satan masquerading as an angel of light and shunned him. Give us the wisdom to discern behind each subtle temptation the ploy of the prince of darkness; and in the face of all that is hellishly attractive, help us to choose the will and word of God.
Amen.
May I commend Henri Nouwen's book In the Name of Jesus as a great resource to go deeper into this prayer. May I also commend Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic The Cost of Discipleship as a great resource to challenge your following of Jesus Christ.
I would also love to hear from you and your Christian communities how God is speaking and working during this Lenten season.
May your journey take you to the heart of God in Jesus Christ and may your heart be transformed this season.
Amen.
Lenten blessings, my brother...
Posted by: Brian | February 18, 2015 at 03:36 PM
And to you my dear friend.
Posted by: Bryan Burton | February 18, 2015 at 04:58 PM
Jesus refused to bow down to a false god and knew very well Who is God; He prayed to Him and only wanted to do the Will of that Only One God and not is own will.
Why are there still so many Christians who do not want to follow the teachings of that rabbi and come to worship only One God?
Posted by: Christadelphians | February 25, 2015 at 07:03 AM