Thought for Today
Numbers 17:12 The Israelites said to Moses, "We are perishing; we are lost, all of us are lost!
Psalm 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
Matthew 18:14 So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Luke 15:4 "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
This coming Sunday is the Third Sunday in Lent. Amid all of the tumult of the latest war, mired in the political morass all around us, awash in the incessant drumming of commercialism of our world, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we are in the middle of Lent. It is easy to forget that we are journeying toward the glory of the Empty Tomb.
There is nothing special to mark today for it, but, I believe it is time for a Reset. It is time for all Christians to remind ourselves of ‘the reason for the season.’ I wrote in February, “Lent originated as a time to prepare candidates for baptism. Today, for most Christians, Lent is a period of penitence, contrition and of reflection. Lent and Lenten practices help us more fully understand Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and the glory of the Empty Tomb.”
When Lent was first celebrated, the vast majority of Christians were baptized as adults. As Christianity spread from Jerusalem into Europe and Asia, it was common for entire families to become Christian together. Grandparents, parents and children of all ages would join together. There probably were infant baptisms, but the majority of baptisms would have been of youth and adult. Some period of preparation and instruction would have been proper and important.
Today, however, many Christian denominations do practice infant baptisms. Any preparation would only be to prepare the parents for their part in the baptism. Some denominations do pay special attention to the parental duties associated with having their children baptized. Some denominations set aside other periods for instruction, sometimes associated with a public confession of faith, a confirmation or some other rite or ritual. I believe that it is important for us all to receive some degree of formal preparation for our lives as Christians.
Many professions require some form of continuing education. When I was a practicing Professional Engineer, my state licensing board did require continuing education every year. Thankfully, most doctors are required some amount of continuing education each year.
It is probably too much to expect any denomination or faith tradition to implement an annual requirement for continuing faith education. I suspect many would meet such a requirement with the argument that weekly worship is sufficient to maintain and expand one’s faith, knowledge and understanding of Christianity.
Today, in all the fog of war news, increasing gasoline pricing, inflation, the partisan divide and paralysis of government it might provide some clarity for Christians to focus on educating themselves, ourselves, on Lent and penitence, contrition and reflection.
If you, like me, are feeling a bit lost in all the hullabaloo of today’s news, reflect a bit today on what those verses above say to us about being lost. Think a bit about what John 3:16-17 says about God’s response to our being lost. As Matthew reminds us, it is not God’s will that we be lost. Thankfully, God is not limited like that shepherd in Luke. Our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God does not have to leave any of us to seek out and save any of us who are lost.
Let this Lent once again be a period of penitence, contrition, education and of reflection on our loving Creator God. Maybe we could even designate that favorite childhood hymn, Jesus Loves Me, as the theme song for Lent. Truly learning the extent of what Jesus’ love means for each and every one of us would be a wonderful lesson to fully learn and embrace this Lent.
Stay safe, talk to God, trust God,
Pastor Ray