Season of Lent

With all of the busyness of Ash Wednesday yesterday, it didn't leave me much time to focus my thoughts long enough (except in worship last night) to put them down in words. Lent is the time of the church year in which we allow God to focus our thoughts on Easter and Good Friday. We like to celebrate Easter; do we remember and acknowledge as easily Good Friday? The season of Lent (with the Holy Spirit's help) allows us to.

Take a look at these words from John 6 - "No one can come to Me (Jesus said) unless the Father who sent Me draws him. (v. 44)" Note the word "draws." The word indicates God doing all of the work. It's not us! We haven't "come to Christ." We can't even "accept Jesus." Why? Sin. Our sinfulness has created a huge chasm between our holiest of Gods and ourselves. We try to make ourselves our own god by telling ourselves that "I know what's best for me. I don't need to acknowledge or trust or even refer to God's Word for those decisions in my life. It's a clear lack of submission we fail to make to Him. And this comes from so many who claim to be "Christians!" It is sin!

Here's a prayer from my Lutheran Book of Prayer for the Ash Wednesday remembrance. It's a little long. That's ok. Take a deep breath and enjoy this time with your Lord and God:

"Gracious Savior, prostrate I fall at Your feet this day as Your Church once more enters the Lenten season to meditate upon Your Passion, by which we have been eternally redeemed. In Spirit I appear before You in sackcloth and ashes in true repentance; let me receive Your full pardon. Do not let the pleasures of life, the worries of the day, and the activities of my daily routine crowd You out of my heart and out of my thoughts. Draw me to Your wounded side, and cleanse me with Your most precious blood. Bring healing to my soul and peace to my mind. By Your grace, let me crucify my sinful affections, lusts, and desires. Make me more than conqueror over ever temptation. I confess to You all my sins. Let none of them cling to me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Teach me to love You more and more. Give me grace to confess You as my Savior, who has redeemed me on Calvary, lifting me out of the darkness of sin to be Your own. Gracious Savior, let Your constraining love keep me and all God's children steadfast to the end. Amen.