What to do with Lent?

Lent has become a bit of a monster with people giving up chocolate, sweets, and all manner of other things and proudly telling everyone they can about it.  But does that idea of giving up just reinforce the idea of being good to earn salvation?  Does it simply reinforce the idea that God is a killjoy who wants to deny us pleasure and enjoyment, hence giving up something we enjoy makes him happy?  I know that's not the idea behind it but I think that's got lost somewhere.

This year I'm encouraging Grace Church not to give up but to take up.  We're giving out reading plans for lent on Sunday.  40 days of Bible readings in John's gospel which is the book we are preaching through after Easter.  The hope is that if people agree to read these then they can chat about them and their questions over coffee on Sunday before and after the service and even during the week.  The aim is to get God's word even more active than it is already among God's people.

Here's the reading plan:

Weds 18th Feb John 1v1-18

Thurs 19th Feb John 1v19-34

Fri 20th Feb John 1v35-51

Sat 21st Feb John 2v1-12

Sun 22nd Feb

Mon 23rd Feb John 2v13-25

Tues 24th Feb John 3v1-21

Weds 25th Feb John 3v22-36

Thurs 26th Feb John 4v1-42

Fri 27th Feb John 4v43-54

Sat 28th Feb John 5v1-18

Sun 1st Mar

Mon 2nd Mar John 5v19-47

Tues 3rd Mar John 6v1-24

Weds 4th Mar John 6v25-59

Thurs 5th Mar John 6v60-71

Fri 6th Mar John 7v1-24

Sat 7th Mar John 7v25-52

Sun 8th Mar

Mon 9th Mar John 8v1-30

Tues 10th Mar John 8v31-59

Weds 11th Mar John 9v1-23

Thurs 12th Mar John 9v24-41

Fri 13th Mar John 10v1-21

Sat 14th Mar John 10v22-42

Sun 15th Mar

Mon 16th Mar John 11v1-27

Tues 17th Mar John 11v28-57

Weds 18th Mar John 12v1-26

Thurs 19th Mar John 12v27-50

Fri 20th Mar John 13v1-17

Sat 21st Mar John 13v18-38

Sun 22nd Mar

Mon 23rd Mar John 14v1-31

Tues 24th Mar John 15v1-27

Weds 25th Mar John 16v1-33

Thurs 26th Mar John 17v1-26

Fri 27th Mar John 18v1-18

Sat 28th Mar John 18v19-40

Sun 29th Mar

Mon 30th Mar John 19v1-16

Tues 31st Mar John 19v17-42

Weds 1st Apr John 20v1-18

Thurs 2nd Apr John 20v19-31

Fri 3rd Apr John 21v1-14

Sat 4th Apr John 21v15-25

Don't give up take up!

One of peoples big hang ups about Christians is that they are killjoys, I can't help thinking that Lent fuels that mistaken belief.  Whilst we know the reasons why we give something up are to encourage us to pray to others they think it is a legalistic thing or that God is pleased at us giving up something naughty. So I think it is probably more helpful to take something up, maybe a random act of kindness a day - you could buy the persons drinks behind you in Costa, or bake a cake and take it in to work for your co-workers, or simple stop and help someone with something if we did it intentionally I think it would lead to great conversations.  Alternately you could read an extra part of the bible readings, here are some readings for the time of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday (inclusive) including one for each of the Sundays. Each day the I'll try to post some basic thought and questions about each to help us prepare for Easter.

Weds 22nd Feb- Genesis 3
23rd - Genesis 12
24th - Exodus 12
25th - Num 20:1-13, 21:1-8

Sun 26th - 2 Samuel 7
27th - 2 Chronicles 6-7
28th - Jeremiah 31
29th - Psalm 2
1st Mar- Psalm 8
2nd - Psalm 16
3rd - Psalm 22

Sun 4th - Psalm 31
5th - Psalm 41
6th - Psalm 69
7th - Isaiah 7
8th - Isaiah 9
9th - Isaiah 11
10th - Isaiah 40

Sun 11th - Isaiah 42
12th - Isaiah 49
13th - Isaiah 50
14th- Isaiah 51
15th - Isaiah 52
16th - Isaiah 53
17th - Isaiah 59

Sun 18th - Zechariah 9
19th - Zechariah 11-12
20th - Zechariah 13-14
21st -John 1
22nd - John 2
23rd - John 3
24th - John 4

Sun 25th -John 5
26th - John 6
27th - John 7
28th - John 8
29th - John 9
30th - John 10
31st - John 11

Sun 1st Apr - John 12
2nd - John 14
3rd - John 15-16
4th - John 17
5th - John 18
6th - John 19
7th - Matt 12:38-45

Sun 8th - John 20

10th March - Psalm 69

The psalmist is crying out to God for rescue. yet the amazing thing is that he cries out to the God who knows his folly (5) who knows his sin. He does not plead for salvation by merit, there is no idea that he deserves God's rescue. In fact just the opposite this is a cry to the God of grace from one who has experienced his salvation and put his hope in it.

He is adrift, bereft of comforters and friends and surrounded by enemies and those who seek to harm him. So he cries to God, and looks forward to the time when not just he, but all heaven and earth will praise God his saviour.

March 9 - Psalm 41

As you read this Psalm you can feel the vitriol of David's enemies, the Psalm conveys the pressure that David is under. Yet in that situation facing those pressures his assurance is that it is the Lord who sustains, who protects and preserves, and it is to God that he cries for mercy.

We also see that the whispering campaign of his enemies is unfounded and that their longing is for his death. The moment of greatest despair is v9 as he recalls with broken heart how his close friend, one who shared his bread has turned against him.

But he prays Lord have mercy on me. God is to be praised because he sees he knows and he will bring about justice.

It is a startling insight into how Jesus felt as he goes to the Garden, as he is left alone and friendless, as his close friend betrays him, as he faces the whispering the lies and ultimately the justice of the Father trusting in his Father's will, plan and love.

March 6th - Psalm 16

David's Psalm is a refuge Psalm, God is his only hope and stay. Without God he would be hopeless and helpless. It is a Psalm stating his confidence and faith in the sovereign God. In which the Psalmist reiterates his commitment and faith in contrast to the futility of serving anyone other than the Lord.

This confidence enables him to praise God, to not be shaken and to rejoice in faith.

Psalm 8

I think this has to be one my favourite Psalms. It reminds us to put God in his God place. The Psalmist begins by establishing that God is majestic not just in Israel but beyond its borders, his majesty flows out to all the earth. He has no rival. And as such he is worth praising.

The Psalmist is awed as he recognises the power of the creating God and yet his concern for man, his giving of glory and honour to man at creation in making them ruler over his creation. This realisation prompts the Psalmist to exclaim again how majestic God's name is.

We live in a world which wants to downplay the significance of humans. Children as young as 5 being taught that we are just hairless monkeys. But Psalm 8 reminds us that this isn't so, that God made us and gave us a privileged position and that with that came responsibility - to mediate God's rule, to be God's stewards.

Given that we rebelled against that, that we have thrown off our God given responsibilities, that many will not recognise God as creator it is all the more amazing that God is mindful of man. Mindful enough to send his son for his enemies who had taken all that privilege and thrown it back in God's face. "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Day 8 - Psalm 2

As we come to the Psalms we see the prayers and hymns of the people of God. Psalm 2 reminds us of the utter sovereignty of God. That despite the rebellion and the opposition of the rulers and kings of the earth God remains sovereign. In fact so ridiculous is their rebellion that God scoffs.

However, their rebellion - and ours with them - leads us to a place of judgement, where we and they face God's anger and wrath and it is terrible. It is a reminder that opposing God is not only futile but it places us in danger of judgement.

But it is not a Psalm without hope as God installs his king on Zion, a king who is his son, whose inheritance is the nations and who judges. Israel's king is God's son mediating God's rule.

But it points also to the ultimate King the one promised who would sit on the throne of David forever. What is a right reaction to this King who judges? The right reaction is to kiss him - to make allegiance with him, to serve him in awe. The alternative is to face his anger and wrath.

The Psalm ends with a wisdom statement 'Blessed are all who take refuge in him.' Am I taking refuge in the Son King or am I still under his judgement for my rebellion?

Day 7 Jeremiah 31

The exile was an awful moment in the history of God's people, it is a display of the holiness of God the failure of the people but also the love of God as he disciplines them as a father disciplines his son. Throughout the warnings of impending exile are promises of a life after exile. In Jeremiah 30 the Lord has promised that Judah and Israel will be restored, their captivity ended, that their mourning will turn to joy. Chapter 31 continues that restoration and return theme and as you read it you can't help but wonder at the scale of the return.

Then in v31 onwards we see the promise of a new covenant where God would put his law within his people, write it on their hearts and be their God, here all shall know God. Where sin is forgiven.

What a promise for a people facing exile and what an expectation as they returned to the land. But the realisation of this is not immediate, it is only in Christ that this new covenant is sealed. We have much to praise God for.

2 Chronicles 6-7

There is much for us to learn about prayer from Solomon's prayer of dedication. It is key for us in then understanding why the likes of Jonah and Daniel look towards Jerusalem when they pray. They are remembering Solomon's plea to God that if they pray towards the land, city and temple where God has said he will dwell then he will hear, uphold and forgive them.

But God's response to Solomons prayer is all the more astonishing as he fills the temple and appears to Solomon. As God promises he will be attentive to offerings for sin. But as he also promises judgement and destruction of the temple if Israel continues to refuse him.

We come not to the temple but to the Son, we pray not via the temple but through the son by the spirit. Praise God for his mercy.

Day 5 - 2 Sam 7

Another of the great covenants that God makes, this time with David. It is an astonishing covenant especially given what happens to David a few chapters later in the story, which of course the sovereign eternal God knows is going to happen as he makes this covenant.

The promise is amazing, David's descendant will sit on the throne forever, he will be THE ruler. Its why Matthew begins with his genealogy because Jesus Christ is this forever king.

Day 4 28th Feb - Num 20:1-13, 21:1-8

It is always striking and saddening to read of Israel's failure and Numbers is one of the books which shows us Israel's failure and makes us aware of our similarity to them.

In Numbers 20 and 21 we read of two incidents that in the New Testament are taken and viewed as precursors, shadows of Christ. As God provides water from the rock, and then after Israel's rebellion and subsequent judgement God provides a means of salvation by faith in looking at the snake.

It tells us of God's holiness and the necessity of his punishing sin, we also see that he does not separate the sin and the sinner, he judges and punishes the people for their sin. However we see again the love and gracious mercy of God as he provides a way of salvation by faith. In John's gospel Jesus answers Nicodemus question 'How can this be?' by picking up and reminding him of this incident with the snake and applies it to his own lifting up, just as salvation is by looking to the snake by faith so whoever believes in Christ will have eternal life.

Salavtion is by faith alone in Christ alone.

Day 3 - Exodus 12

You can't help but notice as you read this chapter God's provision for his people, God's judgement and God's desire that his people should remember the Passover. God is bringing his people out of Egypt in a momentous way. The judgement of Egypt and the sheltering of Israel under the blood of the lamb shows God; grace and mercy to Israel and his sovereignty and holiness.

(27) What is the peoples reaction to this rescue and impending salvation? It is to bow their heads and worship and to do everything the Lord commanded.

Day 2 - Gen 12

This chapter is key for our understanding of the whole Bible, certainly the rest of the Torah and the Old Testament is concerned with tracing God's fulfilment of these 4 promises. God is a faithful God who keeps his word.

But it also reminds us that God is a God of grace, as Joshua reminds us Abram was an idolater but God saves him and makes his covenant with him. Abram is not the standard bearer for those who do good things to work their way to God, he is the father of those who are saved by faith in the promises of God.

And the promises themselves are immense and undeserved. As I read the last "and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." it reminds me of the scene in Revelation of multitudes from every tribe and tongue and nation, all blessed through Abraham by Christ.

Day 1 - Gen 3

It is quite striking reading Genesis 3 again that actually on the surface Adam and Eve's sin isn't especially heinous. They take an apple they shouldn't. It helps us see that the sin is not the act but the motivation behind that act - independence of God. As Eve moves from questioning to doubting to rebellion we see all sin no matter how trivial we think it is for what it really is a rebellion against the rule and reign of God. We also see clearly that Adam is not innocent he stands by, failing to exercise his leadership, to mediate God's rule.

And the consequences are catastrophic. But there is hope, there is grace from God as he gives them covering, or clothing they don't deserve, but the hope is in the promised seed who will crush the snake.

Genesis 3 helps us see our sin for what it is, it peels back the veneer and reveals our motivations. But it also points us forward to the only hope to deal with that sin.

Lent reading plan

As mentioned earlier why not rather than give up something for lent take up something. Here are readings for the time of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday (inclusive) including one for each of the Sundays. Each day the I'll try to post some basic thought and questions about each to help us prepare for Easter.

Weds 25th Feb- Genesis 3
26th - Genesis 12
27th - Exodus 12
28th - Num 20:1-13, 21:1-8

Sun 1st March - 2 Samuel 7
2nd - 2 Chronicles 6-7
3rd - Jeremiah 31
4th - Psalm 2
5th - Psalm 8
6th - Psalm 16
7th - Psalm 22

Sun 8th - Psalm 31
9th - Psalm 41
10th - Psalm 69
11th - Isaiah 7
12th - Isaiah 9
13th - Isaiah 11
14th - Isaiah 40

Sun 15th - Isaiah 42
16th - Isaiah 49
17th - Isaiah 50
18th- Isaiah 51
19th - Isaiah 52
20th - Isaiah 53
21st - Isaiah 59

Sun 22nd - Zechariah 9
23rd - Zechariah 11-12
24th - Zechariah 13-14
25th -John 1
26th - John 2
27th - John 3
28th - John 4

Sun 29th -John 5
30th - John 6
31st - John 7
1st April - John 8
2nd - John 9
3rd - John 10
4th - John 11

Sun 5th - John 12
6th - John 14
7th - John 15-16
8th - John 17
9th - John 18
10th - John 19
11th - Matt 12:38-45

Sun 12th - John 20

LENT - don't give up take up

Lent is upon us. Lots of people give something up for lent, I can't help but wonder if this just confirms those outside the church in their view that Christianity is all about denying yourself, missing out on the good things.

Instead why don't we use lent positively and take something extra up. I'm going to try for the next forty days, starting tomorrow to have an extra Bible reading and reflection slot in my day. Its got to be better for me than giving up chocolate or crisps or whatever.

I'll post what I am reading each day and 2 readings worth on a Friday as I try not to blog on Saturday as its family day. Why not join me dwelling on what Christ has done for us?

Lent

We were asked if we would do something on Lent at a school assembly and it got me thinking about the concept of Lent. It seems the idea behind Lent has gotten somewhat lost along the way.

I wondered now if it would be better for us to take up something extra rather than giving something up. One of the most popular misconceptions about Christians is that they are dour and dull and that becoming a Christian would mean giving up on so much of life, on so much of what I enjoy.

My hunch is that Lent simply fuels such wrong beliefs as lots of people give up chocolate or sweet things. Instead why not use it to focus on Easter. Come up with a forty day reading programme and instead of giving up for Lent why not take up an (or an extra) quiet time for the forty days of Lent. In that time it would be easily possible to read all the gospel accounts of the passion week and some of the Old Testament background to them.

Or why not take up serving the community you live among. Think of something small you can do every day to share with those you work or live among the love of God that Easter is all about. Take cakes into work, offer to make the coffee, whatever, find a way to serve for Lent.

Easter is all about Jesus willing sacrifice for us, to save us from God's righteous anger and judgement and restore us to right relationship with our loving heavenly Father. The question is how at Lent am I going to show that to those around me, how am I going to prepare myself for remembering and celebrating his death and resurrection.