“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.” (Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 4:7-8)
Lent is one of the oldest observations of the church calendar. Although these holy days have changed in terms of the way in which they are celebrated, the purpose has always been the same. It has always been a time of self-examination and penitence, demonstrated by self denial in preparation of Easter.
Lent began on the fortieth Sunday until the 600s when Gregory the Great moved it to Wednesday. As Christians came to the church asking for forgiveness, Gregory marked their foreheads with ashes – the biblical symbol of repentance (sackcloth and ashes) and morality. “You are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). It is a time for penitence and by the grace of our Lord we are forgiven and transformed.
Our church celebrates Holy Week so beautifully that I find myself waiting until then to go inward and dig around for all of those hidden sins that have been covered up through the years. I often think, “What if we could all take inventory for 40 days.” Perhaps it is also a time to confess our sins to one another. At Christmas we find time to celebrate with each other - what if during Lent we took the time, not to celebrate, but rather to confess our sins to one another. What if we made time for that extra coffee break in the morning with a faith family member? What if we had a personal 24-hour retreat? What if we looked back in time in our journals allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us in new ways?
One of my biggest problems is a jam-packed schedule and I don’t think I’m alone. I know how busy our teenagers are and I can only assume their parents are the same. If we are not physically busy, our minds might also be busy with worry and various preoccupations that accompany our lifestyles. I also know that there is no one to blame for my schedule but myself. I am the only one who can schedule time for God. Jesus taught us how. We only need to follow his lead.
Blessings during this very special season,
Mary Anderson
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