Our new Lent Tradition…
Mar 10th, 2010 by ljkim
The word “lent” comes from the Old English word for spring time…but in the European tradition it’s shorthand for the 40 days leading up to Easter. What people often did for Lent is “fast” or give up something they love. Now I know there was probably a good idea there somewhere…but “giving up something you like” is not such a meaningful tradition for me right now. I think it makes people equate Jesus with mourning and losing things…and dying. And not the liberating “die to self” sort of way, but in a funeral procession sort of way. No wonder so many traditional church services sometimes feel like funerals. “Dearly beloved we are here to mourn the death of Jesus.” But the Jesus of history would not have been remembered had he only died… What was memorable about Jesus’ claim to Messiah-ship was that after he was killed, he then got up and preached some of his most mind blowing sermons. People started to get it…and they weren’t afraid any more.
So I’d like to propose a NEW tradition for Lent… Instead of giving something up – how about we give God something He wants… Of course, being God He doesn’t actually need a whole lot…but in the Bible, it tells us that there is one thing that He really wants but does not yet have… You. Continue Reading »
One of my favorite parts of church as a younger Christian was Sunday school – the classes after worship service… So I have nothing against that. But I’m glad we don’t have stuff *like* Sunday school and youth groups and praise teams that people can volunteer for… because when you have those things – the people who volunteer for them tend to think of THAT as their ministry. ”O I’d love to be involved in ministry, but I’m not musical, and I don’t know that I could teach a class in anything…” Or “I’d love to be involved in ministry, like the ‘Children’s Ministry.’” It’s too easy to confuse the ministry *program*, with your ministry… 
The Gospel is that there is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do to make God love you less…because Jesus has done it all for you. Your debt has been paid, and a glory you did not earn is bestowed upon you…you’ve inherited a righteousness the way some people inherit money and power. This also means that the way you are right now, who you are when you’re not trying to be something “better” is valuable and precious to God.
Everyone’s trying to measure up to something… Pretty girls (and guys) try to measure up to the pictures in a magazine, smart people try to measure up to scores on standard exam, successful people try to measure up to other people’s measures of success… But what if those aren’t really the standards that matter? What if you are exactly perfect for the role God has for you? What if God had an aptitude test in which you’d get a perfect score, and everyone else would have to study just to try and pass… Because of your unique experiences and abilities and perspective all had a reason and purpose… If that were the case, what would you DO with your life then? 
Most people these days think life is about balancing work and play… We talk about “work life balance.” We also talk about how hard work life balance is…and, to extend the metaphor, how easy it is to fall down. But life in the Bible really has three points and I think it makes the whole balancing act a lot easier! So what are they? 
I meet many Christians who seem to have a solid grasp of Christian theology and an understanding of how Christianity shapes worldview and culture…and yet feel like Jesus just a concept to them. Jesus the person seems strange and alien, unimaginable, distant, difficult. I understand this. And I don’t think it’s just an isolated problem for a small group of people – looking out at the conservative Christianity in the U.S., I think I see a lot of well-meaning Christians who are somewhat alienated from Jesus. Maybe alienated is too strong a word… But something is wrong, something is missing, and I think it can happen to anybody. 
Some of my readers will be familiar with the tradition of Lent… Usually it means either fasting or giving up something you like for the month leading up to Easter. Like any tradition it can be great and meaningful (if done right) or empty and superficial… If it tends to be the latter for you – then why not try the opposite of Lent? Instead of giving something up for God – how about taking some time to ask, “What can I DO for my Savior today?” ”What would he like?” Whatever it is, you can think of it as your Ministry for the day…it’s the thing that Jesus would want, that Jesus would do, that you get to do for him…
I confess, I have selfish reasons for wanting you to find your ministry. It would be cool to be part of a church where every believer was a minister. That’s what I always thought it was supposed to be like when I first read the Bible… then I got older and actually started going to church. It’s possible for smart talented people to spend all their time and money and energy on themselves, self promoting, self guiding, self medicating, self helping, self fulfilling, self involved… I do it too, and it kills fellowship and slowly saps the joy out of life without our realizing it. Ah – this is so negative, but it get’s better! 
“It’s too far, it’s too cold, I’m too tired, I want to sleep in…” Those are not very good reasons. So let me give you some better ones: “God loves me whether I go to church or not…” “My salvation does not come from perfect church attendance, but from Jesus’ life and death on my behalf.” “Church is not a place, it’s people…people I can see later.” And although I am kidding around a bit – I believe all those reasons are true… There really ARE good reasons to miss church. So I’ll never make you feel bad or guilty for missing something…some of you feel guilty anyway – so I go out of my way to make sure you’re not getting that from me. God really does love you the same whether or not you get up for church on Sunday…honest! Which is why I want to tell you a little bit about why in the 20 years since I started to know God and first went to a church, I’ve missed church only maybe once… 
If God has a ministry for you right now – some way in which you are uniquely placed or uniquely equipped to serve… then one reason you might not be able to figure out what it is, is because you’re confusing your ministry with your skill set… At some point in your life God’s ministry for you might be taking care of an elderly parent or a sick spouse. That has nothing to do with your skill set, but everything to do with who you are. Or your ministry at the moment might be to befriend people around you, and treat someone with dignity when others do not… This might not be the main ministry God has for you five years from now, but it might be something so simple and unglamorous right now that you’re overlooking it… You might be thinking, “I have a professional degree, I have a unique skill set” but God is not impressed with your abilities – He can give abilities (or take them away), God is more impressed with humility and faithfulness…