Praise the
Lord for this Holy Season in the Church calendar. We will gather for Bible
study and a communion service that evening at 6 PM. Ash
Wednesday is the first day in the Lenten season, and has traditionally been a
day of repentance, of remorse for sin symbolized by the imposition of ashes, but
in that imposition is the sign of hope, for the ashes are imposed in the sign of
the cross—the means by which our sins were atoned for. Ash Wednesday falls
exactly 46 days before Easter.
The term Lent comes from the English word Lenten, which comes from the English word lengthen, referring to the season of the lengthening of the days. Today, above all days, is the time to think about repentance, which means ever so much more than just saying one is sorry, or even having regrets. The Greek word we translate as repentance, metanoia, refers to a volte face, an about face, a complete change in direction or behavioral pattern. From the very first Jesus associated this concept of repentance with the Good News of the Kingdom—“repent and hear the Good News". It is written in Joel 2, "Return to me with all your heart, rend me your heart." God does not demand that a person never make a mistake again, but that they give him their whole heart.
In reflecting on a culture that has gone astray from Jesus the Lord, C.S. Lewis has described, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” In a time when superficiality, band-aids, and quick fixes are the way to go, God demands that we return to him with “all our heart”.
Let us make time to stop and think about our life…what we need to do better…what we need to stop doing…what you need to be making time for? If we truly and honestly examine ourselves, we will realize we need to make changes, we need to repent. C.S. Lewis, wrote the "Chronicles of Narnia", a great series of fantasy books, full of deep Christian imagery. In the sixth book of the series, “The Silver Chair”, Lewis depicts exactly the struggle we’re talking about. In Narnia, there is the great lion, Aslan, who Lewis portrays in the role of Jesus in Narnia.
In the story a girl named Jill Pole burst into an opening in the forest. Very thirsty, she saw a running stream close by but, even though she felt that she was dying of thirst, she would not rush into the stream and put her face in its refreshing current. Instead, she stood there in fear, because of a large lion sitting on the ground just this side of the stream. It spoke to her:
“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m Dying of thirst” said Jill.
“Then drink” said the lion.
“May I—Could I—would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to—do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now, that she had come a step closer without noticing it.
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, not as if it were sorry, nor as if it were hungry. It just said it.
“I dare not come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream.” Said the Lion.
The term Lent comes from the English word Lenten, which comes from the English word lengthen, referring to the season of the lengthening of the days. Today, above all days, is the time to think about repentance, which means ever so much more than just saying one is sorry, or even having regrets. The Greek word we translate as repentance, metanoia, refers to a volte face, an about face, a complete change in direction or behavioral pattern. From the very first Jesus associated this concept of repentance with the Good News of the Kingdom—“repent and hear the Good News". It is written in Joel 2, "Return to me with all your heart, rend me your heart." God does not demand that a person never make a mistake again, but that they give him their whole heart.
In reflecting on a culture that has gone astray from Jesus the Lord, C.S. Lewis has described, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” In a time when superficiality, band-aids, and quick fixes are the way to go, God demands that we return to him with “all our heart”.
Let us make time to stop and think about our life…what we need to do better…what we need to stop doing…what you need to be making time for? If we truly and honestly examine ourselves, we will realize we need to make changes, we need to repent. C.S. Lewis, wrote the "Chronicles of Narnia", a great series of fantasy books, full of deep Christian imagery. In the sixth book of the series, “The Silver Chair”, Lewis depicts exactly the struggle we’re talking about. In Narnia, there is the great lion, Aslan, who Lewis portrays in the role of Jesus in Narnia.
In the story a girl named Jill Pole burst into an opening in the forest. Very thirsty, she saw a running stream close by but, even though she felt that she was dying of thirst, she would not rush into the stream and put her face in its refreshing current. Instead, she stood there in fear, because of a large lion sitting on the ground just this side of the stream. It spoke to her:
“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m Dying of thirst” said Jill.
“Then drink” said the lion.
“May I—Could I—would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to—do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now, that she had come a step closer without noticing it.
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, not as if it were sorry, nor as if it were hungry. It just said it.
“I dare not come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream.” Said the Lion.
Indeed there is
no other sream. Jesus is the Fountain of the Living Water. He is the way. He
is the life and He is the Truth. Let us come to Jesus and live.
It is written, “The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness” If we repent, we have hope because forgiveness and mercy are in the very nature of God.
In Christ,
It is written, “The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness” If we repent, we have hope because forgiveness and mercy are in the very nature of God.
In Christ,
Brown
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