Marked for Christ

Last night as I was watching the news I saw many people with ash upon their foreheads. On Ash Wednesday Catholics and others involved in liturgical tradition are marked with ash. It is a declaration of their faith and participation in the Lenten season. Traditionally Baptists and other members of the Radical Reformation do not participate in these traditions and cite Matthew 6:16-18 as their reason to refuse wearing ash. As a Baptist, I think we have the right interpretation, but too often we make no external sign of fasting because we are not fasting at all.

One of the positive aspects of the mark of ash is identifying with the body of Christ. That mark proclaims that you belong to Jesus. Many people take that mark as merely ritual, and it does not have daily significance for them. Rather than being marked once a year for Christ, we should wear our mark daily. Paul spoke of his marks in Galatians 6:17: From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus (ESV). Paul was not speaking of ashes on his forehead but of the physical scars he had received because of serving Christ. Paul lived daily to demonstrate Christ in his life, and that resulted in real wounds. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ still receive physical marks if they demonstrate they are true Christ followers.

Many of us, though, are fortunate that we will never face physical persecution for our beliefs. But we still need to wear the mark of Christ daily. We need to live a life that demonstrates in word and deed our submission to Jesus. We need to live obediently to the commands of Christ and let our light shine in a dark world. People should know that we are Christians, not by the t-shirts and jewelry that we wear, but by the love that we show for one another (John 13:35).

Headed to the Cross

Today is Lent, also known as Ash Wednesday. For many, it is the day to recover from Mardi Gras. However, it seems that many people are excited about Mardi Gras, but they want to skip Lent. On a local news broadcast, they were announcing the events of the week. They made a big deal about Fat Tuesday but didn't even mention Lent.

On the Liturgical calendar, Lent is the major event of the year and is of far greater significance than Mardi Gras. Many churches discard the Liturgical Calendar regarding it as a Catholic thing. There are, however, many Protestants that use the Liturgical Calendar, and the Calendar can be a useful tool for the development of Spiritual disciplines.

Lent is an opportunity to think intentionally about Easter. The cross was not an accident but was the plan of God for the redemption of mankind. The first sign in the Gospel of John is the miracle at the wedding in Cana. Mary, the mother of Jesus, asks Jesus to help with the wedding. In John 2:4, Jesus responds, "My hour has not yet come." Throughout John, the term "hour" pops up in different places. Hour is a reference to the cross, and the Gospel of John is on a trajectory to the cross. Jesus was aware of the hour, and that guided his revelation to the world.

Christians are supposed to celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday, but there is a special emphasis on celebrating the Resurrection at Easter. As we approach Easter, we need to reflect on our need for the cross and the impact that it has on our life. Even though many of us do not follow the Liturgical Calendar, we should use this as a time to prepare our minds and hearts for Easter. In doing so, we will also increase our spiritual disciplines and our walk as disciples.

Ash Wednesday 2014

For most Baptists Lent is something you clean out of the dryer. It is an old joke, but still relevant. Most Baptists do not use the liturgical calendar and traditions such as Lent may seem a little too high church for us. Though it may seem unlikely, the Baptists started out as extreme iconoclasts and the remnants of that mentality remain.
However, I do find value in Lent. Ideally it is a forty day spiritual preparation for Easter. I am pondering the ways in which we can get ready for celebrating the Resurrection. I have not thought about giving up anything, simply because I can't think of something that would have a profound impact on spiritual growth. I have a few habits that I would like to further develop and that will probably be my focus.
I am curious, though, and would love some feedback. What are you giving up for Lent and how will it help you prepare for Easter? Or, even if you are not giving up anything for Lent, are you preparing for Easter and how?

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.