Christmas Already?

Perhaps you have noticed the Christmas decorations and products beginning to creep into the stores. Retailers are starting to bring out tree trimmings and are preparing for the Christmas shopping season. For many the typical reaction is an exasperated gasp of "already?" We haven't even seen the Charlie Brown Halloween Special yet, so why are we being bombarded with Christmas?
The truth is that Christmas falls within the fourth quarter of operations for most businesses. Businesses that have not fared well through the year know they have one shot to make up for the year when Christmas arrives. There are many companies that depend on a good Christmas buying season in order to survive. For that reason they will start as soon as they can to grab their share of the holiday market. And people will respond to those efforts. The average consumer may gripe about the early arrival of Christmas products, but they are more than happy to take advantage of the sales and special deals.
In a poor economy the Christmas shopping season is going to come even earlier. We can complain about the commercialization of Christmas. We can lament the loss of the reason for the season. But I would like to suggest a few things to think about before we complain to the sales clerk at the local department store.
First, none of the employees that you encounter in any local store had anything to do with the timing of the decor. Those decisions were made by highly paid executives in some distant boardroom. Complaining to a sales associate will only dampen their day. It might make you feel better, you will feel better at the expense of  someone else.
Second, we can view the early arrival of Christmas as a blessing. Early Christians often took the cultural events of their day and transformed them into opportunities to share the Gospel. Many of our Christmas traditions come from transformed pagan symbols. The Christmas tree started as pagan nature worship, but was transformed into a symbol of everlasting life. Our culture may have transformed Christmas into a commercial holiday, but we can return it to its rightful status. We can affect a change simply by the attitude we bring into the marketplace. Instead of lamenting the early arrival of Christmas, we can simply acknowledge that the Incarnation should be celebrated year round. The world may not know the real meaning of Christmas, but its early arrival is an opportunity for us to tell them the real reason to celebrate.

Meditating on Lent

One of the goals of Lent is purification. We are to examine our outward actions as well as our inward beliefs. One important task is to examine what occupies our mind. When we are not engaged in tasks, our minds default to particular thoughts and even songs. We find ourselves humming music and often we don't even realize it. Or perhaps we find ourselves rehearsing events or mulling over some problem. We let our minds wander and sometimes it serves to increase our stress. Some of the things we allow to occupy our minds are neither helpful or uplifting.

Instead of worrying about the next bill or humming the latest top 40 song, we should fill our minds with the things of God. Psalm 119:97: "O how I ^love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." The Psalmist actually delighted in thinking about God's Law all day. He would recite and think about God's word throughout his day. It was a comfort to him and strengthened his spiritual walk. We can find that same strength and comfort in God's word. How differently would we find our day if we were reciting Scripture or singing hymns throughout the day. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, ^whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is ^lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, ^dwell on these things."

In Lent we should examine what we are thinking about during our day. We need to fill our minds and hearts with the things of God. It will change not only how we view our day, but it will also change how we interact with others.

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Leap Day!

This year February 29 falls within Lent. This is an interesting day for several reasons. It is a remarkable quirk of the calendar that it has a movable day that appears only once in four years. This variable is necessary to make our solar calendar work and even then it needs the occasional tweaking. February 29 is a rare day and I find that fascinating.
I am also fascinated by the day because it is my dad's birthday. He only has a birthday every four years, so this is his 15th birthday.
Happy Birthday Dad!

Lent and Snack Time

Lent is normally associated with fasting and giving up luxuries. However, according to some traditions, Lent is also responsible for the creation of a popular snack. According to legend a monk wanted to create a snack to reward children who had memorized their prayers. He used flour and water, but since it was Lent he did not used eggs, lard or sugar in his dough. He took the dough and twisted it to represent arms folded in prayer and the pretzel was created. The popularity of the snack has certainly endured the test of time.
We don't know for sure whether the legend of the pretzel is true or not. I like the story, partly because I like pretzels. But I also like the story because it shows that even in the midst of spiritual disciplines we can still have fun. Too often church activities and spiritual pursuits are deemed serious, somber and boring. In reality the pursuit of a deeper faith can incorporate both fun and excitement.... and mustard.

First Monday of Lent

The first Monday of Lent is a tough day. It is hard to focus on spiritual disciplines on Mondays. The work week starts and all the temptations that come with the stress of the work week flood in. Spiritual disciplines are easier to pursue on Sundays and even at the end of the week. However, we must continue our preparation for Easter. The rigors of the week show us the weaknesses and flaws in our own Christian walk. They show us where we need improvement and provide us the opportunity to grow in Christ.

First Sunday of Lent

Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent. Lent is intended to prepare us for Easter. In reality, every Sunday is supposed to be a celebration of Easter. During Lent people tend to be more religious and more observant of Sundays. Additionally, Easter and Christmas tend to be the two times a year that people attend church. Sunday is not just a time set aside for ritual. It is the day we dedicate to worship and rejoice with other believers. We should remember that it was Jesus' habit to go to the Synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16). It was the custom of the early Church to meet every Sunday to commemorate the Resurrection. Participating in worship is more than just getting a gold star on an attendance chart. The believer needs a congregation because it is the body of Christ and we need to encourage one another. The author of Hebrews writes, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Heb 10:24-25, KJV). We worship to praise God, for He is worthy to be praised. We go to church to worship and encounter God. We also go to church to encourage one another. Let Lent be a time when we renew our zeal for worship and our encouragement for one another.

The Dangers of Lent

In Middle Ages Europe the enactment of Passion Plays became quite popular. Entire cities would participate in the reenactment of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. Some towns, like Oberammergau, Germany, have been conducting Passion Plays for several hundreds of years (I will talk about Oberammergau in a later blog). One unfortunate side effect of the Passion Plays was an incitement of Antisemitism. Jews were already a disliked minority and many of the Passion Plays highlighted the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. Too often Medieval peasants forgot Jesus' prayer of forgiveness (Luke 23:34), but focused on the Jews declaration that Jesus' blood would be on them and their descendants (Matthew 27:25). There are some who even object to churches conducting Passion Plays today because they carry this stigma of violence toward Jews. Antisemitism is never acceptable and it is inconceivable for Christians to participate in it. However, it points to an even wider problem for Christians: hypocrisy.

During Lent Christians try to refocus their spiritual walk and even take up spiritual disciplines and acts far above their normal acts. Christians will also set goals that are not always realized and sometimes they will fail horribly. When they fail there will be people, too often friends and family, that will point to their failure as an act of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a charge that is often leveled against Christians. It is said that the church is filled with hypocrites. My response is, "That's true, but there is always room for more."

The word hypocrite comes from the Greek and originally referred to actors. The idea was that the actor donned a mask to portray someone who he was not. Christians always live with the struggle to live a righteous life, but still have to deal with temptation and sin. We are trying to live the life we have been called to (Christianity) while not live the life we used to live (sinful). We are going to fail and we are going to face criticism. Lent reminds us of this struggle and perhaps creates more failures. However, there are two important things to keep in mind. First, we are called to live a righteous life even when we have to struggle to do so. Failures do not mean that we give up. Rather, they are moments for us to appreciate God's grace. Second, we will always fail when we rely upon our own abilities to overcome sin. We must rely upon the Holy Spirit. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we rise above hypocrisy and live a truly righteous life.

Joy and Lent

Lent is not usually considered a joyous occasion. Mardi Gras is supposed to get all of the fun out of the system before Lent begins. The stereotypical image for Lent is of a mournful looking figure with ashes on their forehead and grumpy because they've given up their favorite foods. It doesn't have to be that way.

Lent is a time of preparation for Easter that should include reflection and repentance. However, it does not have to be a time of silent, solemness. Lent should be considered a time to prepare for worship and worship is supposed to be a time of joy. The model for worship should spring from Psalm 100 - "Make a joyful noise all the earth!" We are headed toward Easter and that is reason enough to celebrate. So, while we work on our spiritual disciplines, we should do so with joy in our hearts and a song or psalm on our lips.

Forty Days and Temptation

Lent is actually 46 days, but Sundays are not traditionally included in the 40 days of Lent. According to early church tradition Sundays were not days for fasting or penance, since every Sunday is a celebration of Easter. The number 40 is significant for several reasons. Many events in the Bible are associated with the number 40. For example, the Hebrews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The wandering in the wilderness was later understood as a time of purification. The sinful and faithless generation died in the wilderness and only the purified nation crossed over into the Promised Land. Spending time in the wilderness came to be associated with spiritual purification even for the early church. The Christian monastic tradition essentially began as early Christian teachers retreated to the desert and students followed after them.

Lent does not require us to enter into a desert, but it is a call for purification. Any move toward a deeper spiritual life will run into trouble. Temptation and spiritual warfare will accompany the pursuit of Christian spiritual disciplines. As Jesus began his earthly ministry, he was guided by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. Jesus did not need purification, but he did enter an intense time of prayer and fasting to prepare for his ministry. During that forty days he faced temptation and the 40 days ended with three intense temptations. The temptations recorded in Luke and Matthew are theologically rich material. The temptations tell us quite a bit about Jesus, but they also serve as a model for us. Jesus is unique and the temptations that he faced were greater than anything we will ever experience. However, Jesus is the model for our Christian life and the temptations are an important lesson. Frequently it is pointed out that Jesus defeated temptation with Scripture citation, but that is only a portion of the story. Jesus was immersed in Scripture and it was incorporated into his life. He lived the Old Testament in ways we can't comprehend. We should not only memorize Scripture, but also incorporate it into how we live. Further, Jesus was being obedient to his Father throughout the Temptations. Obedience is necessary to incorporate Scripture into our lives. Simply knowing Bible verses is not enough if they are never utilized. The most important aspect of Jesus' victory is the role of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:1 tells us that Jesus was led in the wilderness by the Spirit and verse 14 tells us that he returned from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit. Jesus relied upon the Holy Spirit throughout the 40 days and in his confrontation with Satan. Memorization and obedience must be accompanied by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to both recognize and overcome temptation. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God always provides an escape from temptation.

Throughout Lent we will experience temptation and it will become even more intense if we are intentionally preparing for Easter. We do not face these temptations alone, but should look to the Holy Spirit to overcome these temptations as we are obedient to the will of God.

Ash Wednesday - Facing Jerusalem

As Lent begins, we should take time to reflect on the goal of Lent. Too often our observance of religious holidays is dictated by retail marketing. We begin to prepare for Easter when the Cadbury Cream Eggs roll out or when sales for Easter item begin. Of course, this means that the Easter season begins sometime between Christmas and Valentines Day. We are often carried along by the calendar and artificial events that do nothing but distract us. But our observance of the Resurrection should be guided by our own desire to strengthen our faith and our walk with the Lord. So, we must first be intentional about Easter.

Luke 9:51 "And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem"
Luke 9:51 marks the beginning of the travel narrative in the Gospel of Luke. New Testament scholars use this term to refer to the change in Luke's narrative of his Gospel. From this point forward Jesus is traveling toward Jerusalem and the Cross. In this short verse, though, we find several important ideas for us to dwell on. First, the ultimate goal of Jesus is to be received up - in other words, the time for his ascension. God's plan was for the Cross to precede the Ascension, but Jesus always planned to return to the Father. The events of the Crucifixion cannot be separated from the Resurrection, the Ascension of Christ and his ongoing work of Intercession. Second, Jesus intentionally went to Jerusalem and the Cross. The Cross was not an accident or mistake. It was not plan B or some failed pipe-dream. I like the wording of the King James Version in this passage: he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. The imagery is striking as Jesus turns to face Jerusalem. Jerusalem: the city set aside to honor and worship God. Yet, also the city that killed the prophets and rebelled against God countless time. In obedience to his Father and for the sake of our salvation, Jesus intentionally turned to the city of his execution. Thanks be to God that it is also the city of Christ's triumph over death and the grave.

We can complain about the commercialization of Easter. We can stumble along guided by the calendar. Or we can intentionally prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Just as Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, we can set our face toward Easter. As Jesus turned toward Jerusalem he saw the pain and bitterness that awaited him. He saw his death on a cross. As we look toward Easter we see a time to celebrate the salvation that Jesus provided on that cross.We see a time to rejoice in our Savior and share the Good News of Easter.

Ash Wednesday and Lent - What's a Baptist to do?

As a Baptist I have generally paid no attention to Lent. Usually the Baptist observance of Lent includes jokes about dryer lint and trying to figure out how to politely tell people that they have a big smudge on their forehead. Baptists have generally rejected liturgical traditions as showy, hypocritical and basically too Roman Catholic. In truth, though, Baptists at times have enjoyed a good show and have plenty of hypocrites. We have some major differences with the Roman Catholic Church, though the current political climate has highlighted our commonality in recent years. Some of the traditions of the Catholic Church do have value even for us radical reformers. Tradition connects us with a past that is larger than ourselves and anchors us to a faith that endured through the centuries. Lent can be a positive event for us, but we have to understand what it is.

It would seem that people today are more familiar with and interested in the events leading up to Lent, than in actual observance of Lent. On Tuesday, while flipping through the radio dial for weather and traffic, I heard a local radio personality discuss his plans for Mardi Gras. He was going to celebrate big the evening of Mardi Gras at a prominent Atlanta strip club. He was then asked about his observance of Lent. Very seriously he announced that he was giving up donuts for Jesus! Lent, though, is not just about giving up something for 40 days. Lent is supposed to be about fasting, penance, prayer and other religious practices that focus the mind and heart on Passion Week. Ultimately, Lent is to prepare the Christian for celebrating Easter.

I have never specifically given up anything for Lent. I am still praying about it. I have often thought it would be better for us to focus on improving some aspect of our Christian discipleship than on giving up some item or activity. In other words, I prefer adding something beneficial to the Christian walk that can become a habit beyond Lent. Behavior experts often claim that anything done for 40 days will become a habit and we should take this opportunity to create positive habits. This is not meant as a criticism for those who are fasting and picking up a good habit can be complementary to their fasting.

One of the things I intend on doing during this Lenten season is to offer up a word of devotion each day. For each day I will present a small word to help prepare for Easter. This will help me focus my mind on preparing for Easter and I pray that it will help someone else as well prepare their mind and heart for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.