Wednesday, February 25, 2009
NEW DEVOTIONAL SERIES STARTS TODAY
Today starts a new series of devotions for Lent, 40 devotions for the 40 days of Lent. Lent, in the church year, is the 40 days (excluding Sundays) until Easter. My series of devotions will be 42, including Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. This means that in addition to my Monday through Friday devotions, I will be including Saturdays and Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It is my hope and prayer that during this period you will turn to God with your heart, mind, soul and strength, as you prepare for Easter. It is also my hope and prayer that you will come to understand the depth of God's love for you and to know and love God more deeply as you explore the Mind, Method, Manner and Ministry of Jesus.
Today starts a new series of devotions for Lent, 40 devotions for the 40 days of Lent. Lent, in the church year, is the 40 days (excluding Sundays) until Easter. My series of devotions will be 42, including Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. This means that in addition to my Monday through Friday devotions, I will be including Saturdays and Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It is my hope and prayer that during this period you will turn to God with your heart, mind, soul and strength, as you prepare for Easter. It is also my hope and prayer that you will come to understand the depth of God's love for you and to know and love God more deeply as you explore the Mind, Method, Manner and Ministry of Jesus.
The Series is titled: Ashes to the Empty Tomb.
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ASH WEDNESDAY
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Matthew 4:1-3 Today Lent begins with what we call Ash Wednesday. Lent is a forty-day period of preparation before Easter. The forty-day period is based on the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-3
In the early church it was during this season that new Christians prepared for baptism, or infants were brought to be baptized. Fasting has also been a part of Lent. In earlier times, some Christians fasted by eating one meal a day and abstained from eating any meat. Fasting continues to be a part of the Lenten experience for many individuals. Lent continues to be a time for Christians to be introspective and repentant. This is a season when we, as Christians, are called to turn to God. We are called to turn from anything that attempts to subordinate God's place and authority in our lives.
ASHES
In the Old Testament ashes were used: 1) as a sign of humility and mortality; 2) as a sign of sorrow and repentance for sin. Our Christian use of ashes on Ash Wednesday has been taken from this Old Testament Biblical custom.
Receiving ashes on the head as a reminder of mortality and a sign of sorrow for sin was a practice of the Anglo-Saxon church in the 10th century which many churches have carried over to today.
A Christian should do everything for God's glory and the service of others, even the smallest of his actions. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31. This principle also applies to our acts of religious observances - they are to be done to please God and edify others: He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11
We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Our Lord emphasized that universal truth. John wrote: “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves ... If we say we have not sinned we make God a liar" 1 John 1:8, 10. So ashes are an appropriate sign for every one of us, since all of us are sinners.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as I start 40 days of reflection today, help me reflect on two things, that I am a sinner that is in need of you, and on you and your love, who loves one such as me. Amen
Posted by Tim Hetzner at Tuesday, February 24. 2009 
Categories: ASH WEDNESDAY
Tags: Ashes to the Empty Tomb
Categories: ASH WEDNESDAY
Tags: Ashes to the Empty Tomb
Good morning Tim - you must have been inside of my head (again!!) ---- these were all things I was contemplating this morning on my drive to work - thank you for hitting the mark again!
Enjoy your day!
Judy
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