Divine Reversals

Lent arrives a little later this year, but its appearance is right around the corner. It is my favorite season in the liturgical calendar because it forces us all to focus on the essentials: life, death, and resurrection.

A divine reversal is at play over the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The world tells us life begins at birth and ends in death. Lent begins with examining our mortality and the reminder in the imposition of ashes, “you come from dust, and to dust you will return.” We continue on the hard journey with Jesus to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his betrayal, arrest, and conviction. The cross casts a deep and troubling shadow over the entire season, but death does not have the final word. God concludes the divine reversal on Easter Sunday in Jesus’ resurrection.

We always see an uptick in church participation during Lent. I attribute part of it to the better weather and the return of our snowbirds. I think the main reason is Lent forces us to be real and examine the meaning of our lives and the hope of our faith. I don’t believe church membership and The A Monthly Insight into St. Mark Presbyterian Church attendance dips because we demand too much. In fact, the opposite seems to be true: we lose disciples when we require too little. Lent does not let us off the hook. It stares directly into our eyes with the intensity of a drill sergeant and forces us to look at our hearts. It is a hard and beautiful 40 days.

Lent presents us with an uncomfortable truth. It is much easier to worship Jesus than it is to follow Him. The Lord does not call us to adore God from a distance but to travel the road Jesus walked, to serve the broken, and to love without reservation. It is not an easy task, but it is what this season demands. Rev. William Sloane Coffin speaks to this, “Faith is a matter of being faithful. It’s not believing without proof; it’s trusting without reservation. No easy task. But faithfulness is joyful.”

St. Mark is offering a number of opportunities to grow in faith throughout Lent. Everyone is encouraged to take part in “The Lenten Challenge” and drink clean filtered tap water for 40 days. All money saved will go to building clean water wells in Africa with our partners at Marion Medical Mission. We will also have a conversation on Brennan Manning’s The Ragamuffin Gospel on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 in room 102. In addition to this class, there will be a live online discussion at noon on Wednesdays. I hope you will consider joining us as we explore this important book. Do not let Lent or life pass you by!

 In Hope and Confidence,

Pastor Dave