Starting on Wednesday, Lent begins with our Ash Wednesday service. I’ve always liked Lent. As a kid I liked it because it meant no confirmation class and soup dinners. In college, I liked it because I got to participate more in the worship as a college student, sometimes dressing up to play characters in a series. One year I played Peter as the pastor did a series about important people in the story of Jesus’ death. Another year, I got dressed up in the armor of God. Of course, there were also meals to attend then as well!As a pastor, I still really like Lent, for a couple of reasons. The first is the opportunity to create a theme and see it through, whether that means writing skits, picking special songs to hear, or just basic sermons. I like doing the themes. It gets my creative juices flowing a little more intensely than the rest of the year, and I think it makes my preaching better not only during those Lenten services but also on Sunday’s. I’m excited by this year’s theme, “Live Christ.” I first thought of this theme while listening to the song “Live Christ” at the ELCA National Youth Gathering last July. When they played the song, the words struck me, and I began to think about a way to use it in worship. When the CD of the gathering came out, hearing that song again and again inspired this theme which will play out over the next six weeks. Our Sunday School kids are learning the song now in Sunday School so that they can sing it at the Youth Service on Palm Sunday. You will hear a version of it as well a couple times during Lent. I hope that you can join us at 7:30 PM each Wednesday night as we worship and make our journey together through the “Live Christ” theme.
Secondly, I like that during Lent so many of our membership gets involved in the church one way or another. Groups such as the Men in Mission, WELCA, Youth Group, and even church council serve Lenten meals. And they are all delicious! In the worship service, so many people get involved to put on the Holden Evening Prayer service. Besides organ, we have piano, flute, guitar, and a variety of individuals that help to lead Holden besides myself. Youth and adults get involved in skits and our choirs share their talents as well. Lent is a great time in which people share their gifts to the church.
Finally, what most appeals to me about Lent is the journey of faith that we all take with our faith. Lent is a great time to examine our relationship with Christ, to have our faith strengthened and explored. It is a time in which we act our faith through prayer, worship, and acts of kindness. It is the journey to the point in which our Lord gives his life for all of us for the sake of our sin so that we might have eternal life. It is a time of fellowship, of worship, of giving, of meditation, and of prayer.
I look forward to seeing you as we walk the journey of Lent together at Trinity. May God bless you this week and always!
