Here at Trinity, we celebrate the Church calendar, but we want to do so carefully by being faithful to Scripture not merely keeping traditions mindlessly, particularly when it comes to the season of Lent. We value meditating on Christ’s battle against Satan, His faithfulness to His Father’s mission, His passion and death. We know that following Jesus means taking up our cross and gladly following Him. That’s what we mean by Lent. We don’t mean silly rules about not eating chocolate or giving up Facebook.
Lent is about remembering the call of discipleship. Lent is about remembering Christ’s sacrifice and renewing our commitment to lay our lives down for one another. Lent is about Christian discipline, about making sure our swords are sharp, making sure we are not harboring sins in our hearts, making sure sins like bitterness or resentment or lust or anger are cut off and put to death. You must give those sins up. You must give up your envy. You must give up your greed. You must give up your pride and your self-centeredness.
Lent is an annual reminder that Christians are called to lives of repentance, lives that are fully committed to returning home to our Father’s house. And there, we find forgiveness and grace far beyond our wildest dreams. We find a table that is spread, and a seat reserved for us. Because He’s been expecting you, He’s been waiting for you to come home. This table is the table of your Father’s joy.
What has been keeping you from that joy? What has kept you far from home? Would you lay it down now? Would you give that to the Lord now? And then come, enter the joy of the Lord. Lent means it’s getting lighter, and it’s getting lighter because your Father’s house is full of light.
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