““This is the Lentest Lent I’ve ever Lented.””
This weekend, our Lenten anticipation overflowed into Easter celebration. Then, we woke up Monday morning in the same old quarantine. Many of us know people who are sick, and we’re told the worst is still to come. We miss each other. We miss gathering together to worship. If you feel stuck in some sort of Lenten Groundhog Day, you’re not alone. I want to leave you with two thoughts:
1) The church calendar has room for this feeling. Since Christmas we have walked together through the life and death of Christ. Now we celebrate his Resurrection, and in a few weeks we will remember his Ascension. Then at Pentecost we will re-live together the Spirit’s coming to the church. Between Pentecost and Advent, the calendar brings us into the life of this Spirit-filled church—filled with the hope of the resurrected Christ, waiting for his second Advent and the final victory over sin and death. We have to wait with hope, because death and darkness—though defeated—are still here.
2) This is not the first time God’s people have been barred from their places of worship. Exiled Israel felt this deeply: “How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4). We are grateful that we can gather online, but we also grieve that we cannot wear our name tags, pass the Peace, and receive the bread and wine together. It’s good to miss those things! Grief and gratitude are not always enemies. We ought to cultivate them both, gratefully receiving what God gives as we long for this separation to end.
Our last Easter Vigil reading was God’s promise to exiled Israel in Zephaniah 3:20: “At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth.” Take some time this week to meditate on Zeph. 3:14-20. Let yourself long to worship God with his people as you learn to rest in his presence and promises now.
We will gather together again. We know this is true, because Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. Alleluia, alleluia!
I can’t wait to sing with you all.
-Justin