Happy Shrove Tuesday!

For those of you who need a translation, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It is the official day of Mardi Gras. It is sort of a major “pig-out” day because tomorrow begins the season of Lent. From Wikipedia: Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The season of Lent is a penitential time of self examination and drawing closer to God through study of the Word, meditation, a sacrifice of time through service or giving up a worldly pleasure such as a favorite food, or beverage or activity and prayer. I have not decided on which one I will choose.

Tomorrow at Advent Lutheran Church the season of Lent will be remembered and entered into by the imposition of ashes. Ashes represent the phrase “from dust you have come and to dust you shall return.” The ashes are an outward and visible sign of the cross imposed by the pastor. The ashes are made from the burning of the palm branches of the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Sometimes the ashes are mixed with rose scented oil or other fragrant oil of anointing and placed on the forehead in the shape of the cross by the pastor as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

Psalm 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Of all of the seasons of the church year I think Lent is the season when I grow the most as a Christian. Lent is the one season of the church that is focused on God, the life of Jesus and walking the road to the cross once again. The season of Lent is a journey. This is not a journey filled with anticipation of birth or the glory of resurrection, but focusing on walking a daily walk with Christ as He walked His last days on earth.

In my meditation tonight the opening words were “I am your Savior, your Savior from sins’ thralls(slavery) , your Savior from all the cares and troubles of life, your Savior from disease.” The words that gave me the most comfort and assurance were “I am your Savior.” And then I realized that not only was the passage telling me that God is my Savior but God is telling me that no matter what happens I can trust Him.

Trust Him not only to forgive me when I mess up royally, but to continue to love me. God says I can trust Him to be with me and take my cares and struggles on Himself and stay with me during the hard times. I don’t know about being saved from disease, but I know that if disease happens that God is the Master Healer and will remain with me during the healing process and one way or another will restore me to well-being. (As far as I know, I am just fine!) I guess the message I am supposed to learn tonight is to trust the Lord, my God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

So walk the Lenten journey. Walk with Christ through streets of Jerusalem, out on the water and in the boats with the disciples, from the wells of the outcasts, to the pool where the blind man sat until we all land once again at the table for the meal, to the garden to pray and to the cross where all of our sins died with the Savior. Remember, He is our Savior and we are called to trust.

Take joy in this Lenten journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all precious friends, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.