Dear friend,
The penitential season of Lent (Latin for “spring”) is intended to foster deep spiritual growth in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, the Christian church undertakes a 40-day focus on daily repentance and renewed personal devotion to the way of the cross.
Ash Wednesday serves as response to the prophetic call from the Old Testament prophet Joel: “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Traditionally, ashes are a sign of mourning over the reality of sin and death. We are marked to remember, “Dust you are and to dust you shall return.” Our only hope of deliverance is with Christ the Redeemer.
The 40 days of Lent (not including Sundays) connect us to the 40-day testing of Jesus in the desert, when the devil presented Him with temptations to avoid the suffering and death that His divine mission would require. Likewise, many Christians approach Lent as a time of self-denial, renouncing indulgence in various pleasures in order to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and be strengthened in faith.
Our special worship times in Lent begin this Wednesday at 6:30 pm. This year the special focus will be on “The Good Confession”, using the seven Penitential Psalms. As we attend together, the grace and compassion of Jesus are ministered among us and genuine faith and trust are fostered in community. That results in a great outpouring of joy and gladness at our Savior’s resurrection on Easter Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Heckmann
