Last night, over 70 people joined together to kick off Lent with an Ash Wednesday service, a service where we were reminded that we are dust and to dust we will return. It was a service that reminded us to turn from sin, to live faithfully to Christ and to the community. Yesterday, thousands of us throughout the city started listening to the Gospel of Luke in the “One”, Hearing the Word Campaign. We are on a journey towards Easter and if you haven’t started a Lenten practice there is still time.
This Sunday, we start a sermon series entitled, “The Words from the Cross.” Each Sunday leading up to Easter we will focus on the final words of Jesus. The text this Sunday is, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” and we welcome the President of Regent College, Dr. Jeff Greenman to speak in the morning. In the evening, we invite you to join a Taize prayer service with Anto Ficatier.
Lewis Smedes in his book Forgive and Forget wrote, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” There is much in the Bible on forgiveness. Colossians 3:13 reminds us to “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” As we journey toward Easter, may God soften our heart so we too can feel free, so we too will experience that abundant life, that life in the full, in which Christ came to give. (John 10:10)