Lent: Practice

PRACTICE

The Season of Lent is part of a larger church calendar that includes Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Ordinary time. These are celebrations that have been developed over a long period of time originally in the Catholic Church and have flowed into practice in other denominations (Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian). The practices connected to each season mostly find their roots in observing the life of Jesus as it is portrayed in the gospels. Some of the practices and celebrations may also be connected to ancient pagan celebrations that Christians re-appropriated over time. Historically, the Reformed tradition has largely discarded the celebration of a complete church calendar because it binds the conscience to follow rules and rituals from man. Nowhere is the church calendar commanded in Scripture. Calvin and others thought it permissible to recognize the chief evangelical feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost but felt that the focus should always be on the proclamation of the whole gospel for the people of God each Sunday.

"You don't need a special season to do this. But there also is a benefit in setting aside a specific time to focus on these things."

PREPARATION FOR EASTER Again, the Lenten season and its encouragement to take an extended time to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ provides us with an opportunity to honor God as we prepare for Easter Sunday. Now, consider if there might be a better and more beneficial way for you to think about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

When we got the call to move to Midland, we were both elated and in shock. We felt so aware of God's faithfulness to our prayer for a church that was sincere in it's worship, unified in it's fellowship, and committed to prayer. We were blown away by the awesomeness of the church when we visited and Derek interviewed. Our first Sunday with Derek leading worship found us high on the elated train. But, as we started to settle in and develop relationships we found that the church is just as broken as any other. We love our church, but we need to remember that the church of Christ, the bride, is the universal body of believers and not the 4-walled sanctuary. We have a deep love and commitment to our church and the body that is within it, but we have to remember that the church is full of brokenness in and of itself. Having said that, I'm spending this time in Lent remembering our church in prayer, praying over its renewed faith and redemption, praying its doors to open and welcome the lost, praying for biblically based theology, sincere prayer and repentant hearts. Where does Christ come in? Christ is the redeemer of the bride. Christ died for his bride. And Christ's resurrection gives assurance of hope to each believer within the 4-walls and across the nations of a glorious inheritance in the Kingdom of God.