Lenten Journey 2011

Lord, guide us in your gentle mercy, for left to ourselves we cannot do your will.


John 7: 40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
“This is truly the Prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?”
The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.”
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
“Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?”
They answered and said to him,
“You are not from Galilee also, are you?
Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Then each went to his own house.

Some years we feel like we "fail" Lent. We have treated it like a required course that we didn’t really want to take but needed to graduate. Rather than really participating in it, we will – in a metaphorical sense – sit in the back of the class, not say much, turn in as much homework as needed to get by and wait for it to end. This is not the way to approach Lent. Those years weI would have been better off just ignoring it than going through the motions. Like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, we have tried to adhere to the letter of the law without so much as giving a thought to its spirit. The word Lent means Spring. In our journeys we want to Spring towards Easter. Lent can be a process of repruning and regrowth. It is never too late to begin to experience your Lenten journey and your walk with God.

The snares of death overtook me,
the ropes of hell tightened around me;
and in my distress I called upon the Lord,
and he heard my voice.
Psalm 17

Let us always and everywhere five thanks to christ our Savior, and ask him with confidence:
Lord, help us with your grace.