Pastor's Message - January/February
Dear Friends in Christ
If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, stop reading and
re-read this message when you can not answer “yes” to any of these
questions:
- Are there still left-overs in the fridge from your
Christmas dinner?
- Do you have your Christmas tree or decorations still up?
- Are the Christmas lights still lit outside your home?
- Are you still waiting to hold a Christmas gathering?
(Only definitely planned events here - It doesn’t count if
plans and hopes didn’t come into being.)
Did you answer “yes” to any of these questions? If you
did why are you still reading this? I mean it ... stop now if you
answered “yes”. Hopefully the “prophet” Bing Crosby had his dreams come
true and that this Christmas season was an experience of joy, peace and
light for you. Only when your Christmas season is truly over should you
continue to read on ... because Shrove Tuesday is fast upon us (yes the
pun was intended).
If you are surprised at the very short length of time between
Christmas and Lent then you will not be alone. Shrove Tuesday is
on Feb 5th this year, marking a wonderful day to feast ourselves before
Lent starts. If you are wondering why the time of Lent starts so early
this year you should come to our pancake supper on Shrove Tuesday and
ask a confirmation student why. Following the pancake feast is the
start of Lent, a season that provokes a very different piety than our
recent Christmas season. This year, especially since we are still
very much in the depths of a winter season, the bleakness of winter may
be a better aspect to guide us in our Lenten journey.
Lenten can also be a season of giving. But this giving
is not something where a gift card from the All-sorts Box Company will
do. Yes, Lent is a season of alms giving to the poor, but it also
a season of giving of ourselves. And this giving is not from what
we have left over, but from our deep inner selves – the stuff inside of
us that is costly to give. That giving will be different for all
of us. It may be giving love to those we do not choose as close
friends, or it may be giving of something deep inside that takes from
our pride, or it may be giving forgiveness to someone that has offended
us.
Last year (2007) Good Friday worshipers at St. Peter’s were
invited to write something that they wanted Jesus to take to the cross
for them - a sort of confessional note. When they finished
writing, they placed their note into a small cardboard box that was
sitting at the foot of the cross. After worship the box and notes
were taken outside, burnt and the ashes were kept. On Ash
Wednesday this year we will be taking these ashes to use for the
imposition of ashes. This is giving even of our own sinfulness. Jesus
has taken this sin that we offer, and even the sin that we do not
offer, to the cross with him and brings us forgiveness. That is
the destination of this Lenten journey – the Good Friday when Jesus
took, and still takes, away all those sins.
This Lent, what will you offer to give of yourself?
Pastor Steve
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