A Lenten Invitation
“Have mercy upon me, O God… Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation" (excerpts from Psalm 51: 1-12).
Greetings in Christ,
Comments directed to the pastor following morning worship are relatively a common occurrence. Some are encouraging… some thought provoking; even challenging… some are intended to inject a bit of levity and lighten the moment. On rare occasion I have even encountered the confronting; questioning the authority of God’s Word in a modern world. But this Sunday I was stopped in my tracks by a simple, and maybe to some very innocent and benign commit: “Pastor, I feel as I’ve been to a week-long revival.”
I realize there are some who would enjoy twisting the remark into some cleaver jab about the length of the morning service. I however chose to accept the statement in the spirit in which it was offered. I was the three year old attempting to paint a horse, and upon completion, the very first comment; “My, what a pretty pony!” I was the astronaut who upon landing heard the voice from Houston announcing; “Mission accomplished.” I was the jump shooter who sank the winning basket as time expired… or even more miraculous; I was the preacher whose intended message had actually been heard!
The forty days of Lent can be very beneficial and rewarding for every Christian when we embrace the season for the purpose for which it is intended; a time of reflection, repentance, and spiritual renewal. At the close of a long, cold spiritual winter, a deep spring cleaning of the heart can be very beneficial. For this reason, Lent invites the Christian to intentionally invest in acts of worship, study, and service with the intention to stir our spirits and renew the joy of our salvation… and that’s revival!
For this reason we are planning a special Lenten study from renown Christian author and pastor Max Lucado’s; “He Chose the Nails.”
Wednesday, February 24th - He Chose to Be One of Us
Wednesday, March 3rd - He Chose to Forgive Us
Wednesday, March 10th - He Chose to Invite Us into His Presence
Wednesday, March 17th - He Chose to Love Us Forever
Wednesday, March 24th - He Chose to Give us Victory
We will complete our Lenten journey April, 1st with our annual Maundy Thursday Service at 6:00 p.m.
It is my prayer this special study will serve to invite the people of God back into the house of God as together we prepare our hearts to re-experience the Easter victory!
Together in His service,
Bro. Tim
