Ash Wednesday and Lent: A Reality Check

Happy Lent! I hope your Tuesday was as "Phat" as mine!  Those West Market Street UMC sausages were well done, just like I like 'em.

Upon us again is Ash Wednesday,  a perfect occasion to call on folks to take stock of repentance.  Of course, this is a concept in Christianity that requires humility and sobriety, so it may be out of fashion.  Today we are used to regret and guilt, shame and anger & etc.  I wonder sometimes if we can still repent.


Even worse, can a whole group of people, like a church, repent?  Can they set aside the hubris and odd politics that "disables" many of them?  Can they put aside their most preciously held beliefs and preconceived ideas and truly take stock?  None of this is easy, but it is worth it.


Though difficult, I think Ash Wednesday, and Lent, should be at least an annual "reality check" for a congregation.  Are we for real?  Or are we Memorex?  Or are we phonograph?  Or telegraph?  Or smoke signal?


Some good questions a thoughtful congregation (no matter how large or small) may ask are:


1- Are we reaching anyone with the good news, and how are we or why aren't we?
2- Are we holding our elected leaders, clergy, and church staff members accountable for the duties for which they've signed up?  How do we start doing this or do this better?
3- Are we accountable to those who support the church financially? Or do we just spend the tithe and expect more?
4- What steps do we take to present ourselves to God as a spiritual church?  Are we really sanctified?
5- In what ways have we lifted other priorities above unity in Christ?  Are we only protecting those with visibly sensitive feelings?  Or are we finishing the race?

At MSBC, we have to be realistic about what is being talked about for this spring. A lot of effort is going to be needed from everyone as we fulfill the vision for Magnolia Street Baptist Church.  LUBIS is our acronym that helps us think of Loving God, Understanding Jesus, Belonging, Integrity, and Service. But if it is just an acronym, and just memory, then it is like "clanging brass, noisy crashing cymbal."  I hope our crashing symbol is not the cross! "May God forbid!"

If we would put actions to most of our words, then we will have something even more attractive and transcendentally helpful to the community as 2011 progresses!


Ash Wednesday and Lent: a reality check?  Let me know.


Happy b/c of Jesus,
Pastor James