Tag Archives: Lenten

A 2025 Lenten Message: A Time for Thinking Deeply and Acting Decisively

March 7th, 2025 |

Lent is about reflection and sacrifice, pondering Jesus’ pathway to the Cross, and our submission to God’s will. In many Christian traditions, there are specific calls for fasting and diet restrictions, extra times of prayer, and works of charity. All of these matter and I commend all believers as they respond to their understanding the Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this essay, I will share some fresh Lenten thoughts regarding our response to current cultural, pollical, and spiritual issues. Personally, I am not offering extensive commentaries of USA politics until after Trinity Sunday, the true end of the Eastertide cycle on the church calendar.  I sense (for me) that I need to allow more time to pass before commenting, as so much of what we see is “the art of the deal” and will find its center in the months ahead. I am pleased and displeased with current initiatives and will offer historical and prospective thoughts in the future.

Here are three Lenten disciplines for consideration and we prayerfully engage our world. The first one is a commitment to intercession and reflection before reaction. Apart from obvious joyful or tragic moments, our communication and decisions will always be better after a pause. This pause should include genuine prayer for the people we disagree with most. When the Bible commands prayer for those in authority it does not qualify that we must agree; in fact such calls for intercession came in the midst of severe persecutions. After asking God for compassion and wisdom, we can share our insights – with a view to creating courageous and civil conversations.

A second discipline flows from the first: we must commit to a policy of no personal insults of persons or groups. Critical thinking on issues is a must, but a judgmental spirit hinders progress of God’s kingdom. This is really hard, especially when there are truly awful and even evil actions and attitudes we face. The exception here is for groups dedicated to hatred and terror. Even then, we should pray for mercy on the individuals while standing firmly against their genocidal aims. This is particularly true of groups dedicated to the destruction of Israel and Jews, as well as those killing Christians and other religious minorities in accordance with their demonic principles.

The third Lenten discipline is the pursuit of wisdom as we face so many challenges. The messages of Proverbs 1-9 and the testimony of prophets and apostles are encouraging: we can gain wisdom, so our dispositions and decisions are discreet and fruitful. Biblical wisdom rooted in reverence before God is concrete, moral, and relational. We do not need wisdom for clear biblical teaching on doctrine and ethics. We do need wisdom for how we navigate the pluralism of our age and call our neighbors to repentance and faith. We do need wisdom for prudential pathways forward for neighborhoods and nations. People of conscience must debate how best we steward resources. May we do so with civility and compassion.

My prayer is that all believers and other people of conscience will aim for flourishing rooted in sound first principles and mutual regard for the dignity of every person.

May Lent 2025 be a moment of great progress in faith, hope, and love for all.

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Our Stories Are Not Finished Yet

March 24th, 2021 |

The Lenten Season is a period of self-reflection and sacrifice as followers of Christ ponder the obedience of Jesus that led to a Cross and Resurrection, bringing hope and reconciling grace to our weary world. The story of Jesus includes his humble beginnings. It features family life in an artisan’s home. There is a Bar Mitzvah that astounded some learned religious leaders. And then there were quiet years running a business until his early 30s. If the narrative stopped here, it would have been one more story of an anonymous Jewish family in the early first century.

But the full story continues as Jesus begins his public ministry. For more than three years this Rabbi delivers and heals, forgives and reconciles, teaches and demonstrates the love, grace, and truth of God’s kingdom. For his trouble, Jesus is betrayed, arrested, subject to multiple (mis)trials, scourged, crucified, and buried in a borrowed tomb with a 24-hour Roman guard. If the story had ended here, Jesus would have been one more zealous Rabbi and wonder-worker and perhaps classified as a good teacher by some and a pernicious influence by others. (Oh wait…isn’t that how many still see him?)

But the story is only complete on Easter morning as the Lord is raised from the dead in a transformed body still bearing the scars of his atoning death while revealing the ultimate future of all who believe. Easter is not only a promise of eternity, it is a present reality as followers of Jesus receive the Holy Spirit and walk in his pathway of love and humility, offering the same deliverance and healing, forgiveness and reconciliation to all.

And Easter means that all of OUR stories are still being written. Starting right now, our future can be different as we listen more deeply to our Lord, align our hearts and minds with his commands, and join Jesus in his mission. Yes, we may bear the consequences and scars of previous traumas or our own sins. No, we cannot be “anything” we imagine – that is nonsense. But starting today, we can become the best version of the person God created us to be and start doing the good works he designed in advance for us to do. We were created to enjoy God’s presence and fulfill his purpose. As we worship and work, and allow the Lord to refine our character and define our charisms, a better future opens to us – and to the world.

Our stories are not finished until our mortal journeys have ended. And even then, they continue in a new creation. Be encouraged today! Jettison the fatalism and the fantasies, and embrace the Cross. In humility and service, we discover our purpose and find great strength.

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