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This Sunday
Family worship services in celebration of Mother's Day Morning worship services are at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. The early service is held in Covell Chapel, with our regular service in the sanctuary at 10:30 a.m. Reverend Richard A. Weisenbach, Senior Minister, will lead morning worship services this Sunday, May 11, 2008. This Sunday's message is entitled "Stories about Mom"
The calendar for Sunday also includes 9:00 a.m. Confirmation Class, infant and toddler care during the 10:30 a.m. Sanctuary service, 10:30 a.m. Youth Worship Service for Grades 7-12, 11:30 a.m. Fellowship hour in the vestry, and 11:45 Jr. Choir rehearsel. There are no Sunday school classes for Sunday, May 11th.
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Why Do We Celebrate Lent |
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This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ―Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners‖—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:15-17 (NLTSE)
February 6 was Ash Wednesday and marked the beginning of the Lenten Season. If you forgot that, don't feel too bad. Ash Wednesday is not one of our nationally promoted holidays.
Why do we celebrate Lent anyway? Why do we have a simple soup supper every Ash Wednesday? Have you ever won-dered about that? It is easy to understand celebrating Christ's birth at Christmas and His resurrection at Easter. Good Friday marks Jesus' death on the cross. Pentecost marks the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. These days all mark key events in the life of Christ and the Church. Ash Wednesday marks no event in the life of Christ. Lent marks no particular event in the life of Christ or of the Early Church.
What I have been learning is that the lesson of Lent is to take special time contemplating just how deep and pervasive the cancer of sin is in my life. And along with that, to sit in awe at how powerful and free and deep the grace of God is, that He would send His Son to pay my debt.
The purpose of Lent is not to spend 40 days thinking about what a wretched sinner I am--although that is true! The pur-pose of Lent is to give God glory for His holiness that does not wink or bend in its evaluation of us. It is to give God glory for His justice that would not stop short of collecting all that it required to be perfectly satisfied. It is to give God glory for His mercy that moved Christ to take that debt from us so He could pay it Himself. And to glorify His grace in freely giving us His righteousness that we might not only be forgiven but adopted as sons and daughters of the Father.
So yes, take special time throughout these next seven weeks to remember that you are a sinner, but do so that you can better focus on becoming the man or woman God wants you to be. Yes, remember the horrible price your sin and rebel-lion against God cost Him, but focus on the fact that God thought you were worth the price. You deserve hell, but focus on the fact that you are going to heaven.
Lent reminds us that we need to go down to go up. We need to be honest about the state of our heart. But this only heightens our apprehension of the wonder of grace. So take the time to get honest about yourself and need for Christ. As hard as it may be to believe, you'll be glad you did.
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