March Pastor’s Pen—Housecleaning

 March 5, 2017
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“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old as passed away, see everything has become new.”—Romans 5:17

Lent has traditionally been a time of cleaning house; in fact the practice of “Spring Cleaning” may be related to the religious practice of clearing the kitchen of fat on Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is meant to be only the beginning of a time of taking stock in every part of our lives. In Lent we are called to consider not only the excesses of our material existence that need to be purged, but also anything in our spirits or minds that needs reassessment and clearing out. Instead of understanding Lent as a grim and joyless period, we might remember Paul’s encouragement to see Lent as a time of becoming new. As a person who has moved a few times from one house to another in my life, I know that before you enter a new house, you need to clean out the old one, decide what is to be kept and what is to be discarded, and discern what new items you might need to acquire for a new situation in life.

This Lent, then, we are offered the cleansing opportunity of examining our lives on every level, both material and spiritual. Where are the excesses we need to clear out? What do we need to reassess about priorities, relationships, possessions, and time management in order to be ready to live into a resurrection discipleship? On Easter, when the risen Christ calls us to new life, what might be weighing us down and keeping us from responding quickly, with joy, as stewards of the good news? I’m looking forward to seeing you at Sunday Worship and Wednesday Holden Evening Prayer. Let’s clean house!  Have a blessed Lenten Season.

Blessings and Peace,

Pastor Steve