On Ash Wednesday, once again we were invited by the prophet Joel to “return to the Lord your God with all your heart, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” (Joel 2:12-13). Along with the whole Christian church, we will be invited into the three traditional practices of Lent: prayer, fasting, and giving. For 40 days, we will be encouraged to recommit ourselves to our walk with Jesus; and in so doing, we will be encouraged to recommit ourselves to walk with each other.
But isn’t this invitation something that we should always be taking up as disciples of Christ? Are we not to daily re-turn to God with all our heart? Are we not to daily commit ourselves to journeying with Christ, and following his lead for our lives and for our world? And finally, are we not to daily commit ourselves to walking with our brothers and sisters in Christ as people of the same community?
It’s true; we ARE to engage in this kind of lifestyle and that IS who we are called to be as baptized children of God. So, yes. This “should” be something that is a part of our everyday walk of discipleship – not just something during Lent.
But, I don’t know about you, sometimes I need a bit of a “reset” to get back on track. Recently, when taking out my hairdryer one night at home, I found it wasn’t working. Turning it off and then on again, I thought it would work. Nope. Trying another appliance in the same outlet, that appliance seemed to work. I was confused. Sighing to myself, I figured that I just needed
to bite the bullet and get a new hairdryer. But then it dawned on me: press the reset button. (Admittedly, I’m embarrassed to think that it took me that long to figure that out!) And lo and behold, once I pressed the reset button, everything worked as it was supposed to again.
In the same way, I wonder if the season of Lent can act as the same “reset” button for us. I have a feeling that many of us “know” that we are to journey with Jesus, and to be attentive to the work of the Spirit within us. And we “know” that we are to journey with others, giving ourselves in community. But we’ve messed up. And in the midst of all that life can throw at us, sometimes we need a “reset” to get back on track. Not because we’re wholly broken, and not because there is no hope left. But we simply need to create (or re-create!) some practices that draw us closer to Christ and to those around us.
So simply, this Lent, that’s the invitation. Re-turn. Re-set. And come back. Not for punishment, but to find true and abundant life. For all of us, we’re coming from a different point on our journey. But this season, ALL of us are heading in the same direction: toward the cross and resurrection of Christ—the only place where we will experience true and abundant life.
So, this Lent, return. Take a look at what we are doing as a congregation, and challenge yourself to recommit yourself to journeying with Christ and with those around you. And as you do so, be on watch. For it may just be on this journey that you might discover Christ’s promise of love – for you, and for the world.
From Pastor Aleese