Pastor's Weekly Word

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. (Luke 4:1)

This year as a church, we are paying closer attention to the church year than we often do. The year of the church is designed to follow the events of the life of Jesus Christ. You might say that with each year that passes, we experience the full life, death, and resurrection of the Christ our Lord.

This week, we begin the season of Lent, a period of forty days (not including Sundays) in which we remember the forty days Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. Similar to the way in which Advent prepares us for the birth of Jesus, Lent is intended to prepare us for the death of Jesus. We spend the season in prayer and reflection on our own mortality that culminates during Holy Week as we stand at the foot of the cross. It is only then that we are able to receive the great Easter resurrection surprise.

Tomorrow evening at 6:30 in the Sanctuary, we will begin Lent with a service of ashes. I hope you are able to be there. There is something very powerful about the act of having ashes placed on one’s forehead. It communicates mortality in a way not much else can. I can never quite put a finger on it, other than to say that we need to be reminded of our own foibles and humanity just as much as we need to be reminded of God’s great goodness to us in Jesus Christ. Lent encapsulates both of these realities. It begins tomorrow.