I rarely win at ‘Roll Up the Rim” (say that five times quickly). It doesn’t stop me from being hopeful that ‘next time’ I’ll be a winner! I’m not sure if it’s coincidental, or intentional; but Tim Horton’s ‘rolls out’ their ‘Roll Up the Rim’ Campaign right around the start of the Lenten season. Maybe they know that millions of Canadians have intentions to ‘give up’ coffee or donuts and they make an extra effort to persuade us back to their drive-through? Maybe I am a conspiracy theorist after all?
“Lent is a season of repentance, where we ‘give up’ something so that we can ‘take up’ a greater devotion to Christ. ”
Lent is a 40-day period of time leading up to Easter. It’s a season of preparation, as we behold the crucified and resurrected Jesus. If you’re new to Lent, it begins today—on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season of repentance, where we ‘give up’ something so that we can ‘take up’ a greater devotion to Christ. Ash Wednesday is a day that many Christians observe that reminds them that we have come from the dust and to the dust we will return. A day to remember that we are all mortal creatures and that we should live our lives consciously aware of this reality.
Lent is a season where we choose to surrender some common activities or consumptions that serve as scaffolding that prop up our life. It’s a concerted effort to dismantle the false dependencies that have supported us for too long and exchange the false supports for a greater dependency on Jesus. For some we surrender our dependency on coffee, for others it’s potato chips, or social media and for some really brave souls—it’s Netflix!
We ‘give up’ something so that we are more ‘freed up’ to ‘take up’ our holy vocation of walking with Christ with more focused diligence. We take up spiritual practices like prayer, study of God’s Word, solitude and silence, journaling and generosity so that we can be formed more fully by the Spirit of Jesus. Lent is a season of repentance and formation. We allow God’s Spirit to access greater dimensions of our heart and mind so that we can become more like Him.
It may be helpful to consider this L.E.N.T. acronym as you step into this season of preparation:
Look for God in the ordinary parts of your day.
Engage the Spiritual practices to train yourself in the ways of God.
Notice the dependencies in your life and how we look to them for strength and support.
Turn from sinful attitudes and practices and choose repentance.
As a church community, we have decided to read “Lent: Journey According to Luke.” You can find it in the YouVersion Reading Plans. You can download the app from the App Store and search for it under ‘Plans’ and ‘Discover.’
As we journey together through the Lent season, we will arrive on Good Friday and Easter Sunday with a fresh set of eyes to see the passion of Christ and the power of God. This Easter Sunday (April 12) we are offering two morning worship gatherings—9am and 11am and one Good Friday gathering (April 10) at 10:30am.
Not sure how often I will visit my local Tim’s, or if I will be a winner with my “Roll up the Rim” opportunities, but I do know that every time we “give up” something we will be more ‘freed up” to “take up” a more devoted life in Christ. That definitely makes us winners!
Happy Lent!
—Written by: Pastor Dave Larmour