Dan Czaplewski posted on February 01, 2008 11:52
This coming Sunday our church will be celebrating the Transfiguration of our Lord. For churches that follow a liturgical calendar, this marks the end of the Epiphany season with Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 6). The Epiphany season ends as it began, with God the Father declaring that Jesus is the Son of God sent to accomplish God’s work of salvation.
The season of Lent is a season of repentance; from some, it is a time when they “give up” something as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for them. I would suggest that Lent is also a time for worship. Not that we don’t worship 52 weeks of the year, but that we use the six weeks of Lent as a time to rededicate ourselves to worshiping Christ.
Now, I hope that your understanding of “worship” is broader than an hour (give or take) on Sunday morning. You worship Christ in your devotional time (including reading these devotions), in your prayer time, and in your study of God’s word, individually or with others. You also worship Christ when you live as His servant: caring for those near you and for strangers, giving of yourself to enrich someone else’s life, and acting on the grace you have received.
As the season of Lent begins, I invite you to make Lent a time of worship personally and in your larger circle of relationships. Lent is a good time to focus on personal worship: your prayer life, your time alone with God each day, and your devotional life. Lent is also a time to gather with other believers in worship services in church.
We do not worship Christ not to get into God’s good graces or to do Him a favor. We worship because God meets us in worship. In His word and sacrament, God meets you. Make Lent your season of worship!