I grew up in the Lutheran church (LCMS), so I'm no stranger to Lent. Thus, I was pleased to learn that this year our church (PCA) is taking a step in the liturgical direction and encouraging us to observe the liturgical period lasting from Ash Wednesday through Maundy Thursday.
One of the classic Lenten rituals is fasting from something dear to you for the entire period. In the past I've given up soda (pop for you Texans), bubble gum, ice cream, and so on. This year I decided to really think hard about it to come up with something that would hurt a bit; something that I would really rather not do without. So, after much deliberation I have decided to abstain from Google Reader (and all of the blogs represented therein) from tomorrow through the end of Lent. I will still be posting occasionally, but I won't be reading anyone else's blogs.
If you're also giving something up for Lent leave a comment below. I'm always curious to hear what others think would be a real sacrifice to do without for a brief stretch.
See you on the other side…
One of my favorite times of Sunday worship is when Pastor Stu leads us in a few simple, acapella worship songs while the elements are being distributed to the congregation. Hearing everyone's voices ring out in worshipful unison seems like the closest thing to a heavenly celebration that we'll taste around these parts. Sometimes I actually get goosebumps.
There are other Sundays when we don't do this. Instead, an organist will typically play something slow and somber-sounding while we sit there waiting for the bread and the cup to come our way. I suppose that this is intended to be a time of reflection, to calculate one's own sin and repent of it in preparation for receiving communion. On some level this seems appropriate, given the warnings to examine oneself so as to not eat the bread or drink the cup in an unworthy manner (1 Cor 11:27-32). However, at that point in the order of the worship service it seems out of place.
By the time we get to communion we've already had worshipful singing, personal and corporate confession of sins, the declaration of pardon, and teaching from the Word. We come to the table as people who have been forgiven by their Creator, and who have been ministered to by their Lord through his Word. The table is one of celebration. The blind can see and the deaf can hear, and tax collectors and "sinners" can now come to a feast provided by the Son of God, who calls us to join him in his "ministry of reconciliation" as he is "reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor 5:11-21). It seems out of place to me at this point of communion with our Savior and within his Church to double back to the part where we feel really bad for being sinners. We already dealt with that half an hour ago, and if we truly believe all of this "as far as the east is from the west" business (Ps 103:11-12) we ought to be able to trust that the blood of Christ, the same shedding of which we remember in communion, was and is and will forever be sufficient to cover our sins.
I understand the impulse to go through a "no, Jesus, I really am sorry" routine before we approach his table. If we really are repentant people our sin will always be before us. But, I think it does some unintended damage to the power of the gospel when we feel the need to confess and re-confess the same sins, as if Jesus blood and righteousness can only cover them after a second pass. We need to trust in the power of Christ to proclaim our pardon once and for all, and then to live our lives as if we've really been forgiven. And what better way to begin living that way than by rejoicing in the powerful grace and mercy of God by singing his praises as we approach his table?
Isaiah 33:5-6
[5]The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
[6]and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.
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