Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Repent and Believe the Gospel

February 18, 2015

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Growing up as I did in a very conservative Baptist church, observances such as Advent, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Good Friday, were considered "too Catholic," and therefore, unobserved by good Baptist Christians. Slipping in the back door to Methodism through my early connections with the Evangelical United Brethren, these traditions only gradually began to take root within me, beginning with Advent. I liken it to trying to stuff a gift into a box too small for it. We cannot fit all of Christmas into a single day.

Lent began to take hold a bit later, and it's become a significant part of my own walk with Christ. Years ago, we used to hold a three hour Good Friday service rotating among the churches here in Cassadaga Valley. I miss that service, which was quite liturgical in form, and always very moving, as we meditated on the seven words from the Cross, sung many of the old hymns that directed our attention to Christ's sacrifice for us. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people were able to take time off from work, and the service finally withered and died, much to our loss.

Tonight, Park church took a new step under pastor Joe's leadership as we had our first Ash Wednesday service. It was good to see all the people who came out on a cold, snowy evening to begin this Lenten season in worship. We sang a couple songs, and Matt Slaven led us in a liturgical responsive reading from the 51st Psalm. Pastor Joe preached, then he and Matt teamed up to apply the ashes to those who came forward for prayer. I was on stage, assisting with the music, and as the last person came forward, Matt motioned to Joe, then came up on stage to apply the ashes to those of us leading the music. I happened to be the last one, and as Matt stepped up and applied the ashes, making the sign of the cross on my forehead, he quietly spoke the liturgy: "Repent, and believe the Gospel." I literally began to shake as I heard these words and realized their power. Juxtaposed one upon the other, we are commanded to repent; to turn away from our sins, and in the same breath are commanded to believe the Gospel that tells us we are forgiven. These words are not suggestions; they are commands, but commands that set us free. We cannot believe the Gospel unless we repent, and repentance does us no good if we do not believe in the forgiveness of sins that the Gospel proclaims.

Tonight, I have to repent for not having given my people the opportunity to receive this means of grace, and I am grateful for the Good News that when we repent, we are forgiven and set free. Good News? You bet! Grateful? Forever.

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