Message from Pastor
January 20, 2024
It might be shocking to think about Lent right now—we are still recovering from a busy Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany season, but with Ash Wednesday only a few weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about Lent and our devotion to prepare ourselves for Easter. Many people give up something for Lent and on February 22, 2023, my wife, Hanna, and I attended an Ash Wednesday service at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, where I completed my internship. Hanna stopped working due to the physical challenges of late-stage pregnancy, and when we stepped into the church, we were asked what we were giving up for Lent. Hanna declared, “I am giving up being pregnant for Lent.” Three days later, Eden was born.
Hanna and I each had to give up something to provide for Eden. We both had to give up sleep to care for Eden. Hanna gave up her body during pregnancy and while nursing. I gave up sleep, and time spent to myself. Raising a child takes a lot of sacrifice, but what we get in return is 1000 times more than what we put in. As we watch Eden say her first words and take her first steps, we see what our sacrifice is creating. A beautiful baby girl and a beautiful family.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus encounters a rich young man asking, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16b) and Jesus tells him to keep the commandments and you will have eternal life. But the man knows he still lacks something and asks, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” (19:20b). Jesus tells him to sell every he has, give the money to the poor, and come and follow him. During Lent we are reminded that Jesus asks us to give our lives to him. To pour everything we have into our devotion to Christ and follow him. That means giving a lot up—more than just chocolate or ice cream. That means giving up our lives and handing them over to Christ. That is a lot of sacrifice, but what we get in return is more than what we give up. The joy of our salvation is greater than all the sum of all our possessions multiplied.
There will be no shortage of opportunities for devotion this season of Lent. We will be hosting dinner and worship starting at 6:00 p.m. on February 21st followed by our bible study continuing at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. We will be serving a meal at Grassroots Saturday, February 17, and we always need more people to volunteer to help during worship, especially during Lent and Holy Week. You might also consider adding a family worship time at home. I know that sounds difficult, but all you need to worship at home is to read scripture, sing a song, and say a prayer. In our home, we have a Lenten calendar with daily kindness challenges for our family to complete. We also have a prayer chain to encourage us to pray and to dive into scripture as a family. The more we pour into our faith, the more we see the fruits of our faith.
Pastor Jim
The Reverend James FiztGerald
