Dear brothers and sisters in Christ —
What a glorious thing it is that we get the opportunity to come together in worship with one another as we go into this next Church season. This month of March is marked by Lent. Now during this church season, many of us in the Christian church will give up something for the season of Lent. This is a good thing to do, but we must be sure we’re doing it for the right reasons. Giving up something for Lent is not the same as say, making a New Year’s resolution, as you may have a couple of months ago. The goal of giving up something pleasurable in Lent is to turn our attention to Christ. Lent is marked by the fact that we recognize as we should every day in our Christian Life, but especially now, that we are poor miserable sinful beings. That we fail in thought word and deed. It is a season marked with repentance. We are reminded of our Lord beaten and broken on the cross. We fully recognize our need for a savior. So, we put an emphasis at this time on a repentant heart. As stated in the book of Acts,
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
This is the promise we have in Jesus as we look toward the resurrection with repentant hearts. There will be a day when he returns to judge the world and usher in a new heaven and new earth. As we worship here at Our Redeemer let us be sure to look to Christ in all times and in all places. For Christ is the life of the church and he is the one who moves our hearts toward repentance. May we pray for each other and repent with one another diligently as we focus on this aspect of Christian living.
Blessings in Christ,
Vicar Garrett