Like many other special days in the church calendar, there are different practices associated with Shrove Tuesday in the various cultures that celebrate it. Some of these practices and ideas even seem to be self-contradictory! In some cultures, it is a day of debauchery that has lost its Christian origins, and in others, it is a day of self-examination and confession prior to the beginning of Lent. Clearly those two things don’t fit together well!
There are several Christian practices that have occurred on Shrove Tuesday for hundreds of years. First, it is traditional to spend time in prayer, self-examination, and confession on this day. This practice is at least 1000 years old, and the name “Shrove” comes from the archaic verb for confession. In this practice, the spiritual disciplines of Lent flow from a time of focused confession. Second, it is a day of modest feasting before the beginning of Lent’s fast. Eating pancakes for dinner comes from the practice of ridding the cupboards of dairy and eggs before Ash Wednesday, so that they won’t tempt us or go bad during the weeks of fasting. Third, it is the traditional day for burning palm branches from the last Palm Sunday, which is where the church gets the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
Given that we will not be holding a church-wide feast, I encourage you to hold your own mini-celebration. Either as a family or with someone else from the church, have a special dinner to remember God’s kindness. Throughout the Bible (read Psalm 104 to see an example of this), we hear that food and wine are two of the primary ways God shows us his goodness, and it is important to set aside particular meals to remember this. Eat a good meal, and thank the Lord for it as you do!
I also encourage you to spend time asking God what sins need to be confessed and changes made in your life this year. If you want to speak to me in that process, either for confession or advice, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
I am thankful for you all, and pray that the upcoming season of Lent will be a time of growth in the Lord.
Steven+
Reflections on Psalm 111
Unfortunately, we did not get to sing Psalm 111 on Sunday. Instead, due to the mighty works of God, we remained safe in our homes with the splendor of snow covering the outside world! The refrain we would have sung for the psalm was, “Praise the Lord, he is gracious and merciful. All his hands do is just.” This psalm reflects on the works of God as our creator, provider and redeemer, and also on our fear of the Lord, which leads us to delight, thankfulness, and trust.
God’s great works as creator are all around us. They drive us to awe and wonder as we see the majestic beauty of his creation—from the great mountains, waterfalls, lakes, and forests to the songs of birds, chirps of insects, the sound of rain, and the great beauty of a white world covered in snow. As we delight in them, we see the hand of the creator. We see what he has made and what he has called good. The more we understand the world and the intricacies and detail put into each and every aspect, the more we delight in the marvelous works and in our creator himself.
God’s great works as provider are seen in our family meal, where he provides the bread that gives life. It is in this life-giving meal that we renew the covenant and remember God’s promises. We eat this meal, the Eucharist, in thankfulness. God provides our daily bread because he remembers his covenant forever, and we are grateful. There is great power in this meal as the family continues to grow to include all people, all nations, all tribes, and all languages. This is our beautiful inheritance. Also, as provider, his works provide justice and show his faithfulness. He instructs us in the way of truth, and these commandments provide us with the path of faithfulness and uprightness. He is trustworthy, so we can follow him in obedience and be thankful that he is gracious and merciful.
God’s great works as redeemer are seen in the work of Christ on the cross and through his death and resurrection. The psalmist says, “he sent redemption to his people.” Christ came down to redeem the children of God and to make a new covenant. In this redemption he has kept his covenant and proved again his trustworthiness, so in him we can and should place our trust. What a great work that we wretched and lowly creatures have been redeemed by the blood of the perfect and holy Lamb! The Lord is gracious and merciful. All His hands do is just!
-Erich
Partnership in the Gospel
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Phil. 1:3-5)
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… (Phil. 1:12)
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Phil. 1:18)
One of the great themes of Philippians is the advancement of the gospel. We all know that we are supposed to care about the advancement of the gospel, but sometimes it takes rereading a book like Philippians to wake us up to this again. We need the reminder, because we forget how important this should be to Christians.
For a long time, it was possible (perhaps not wise, but certainly possible) to assume that almost everyone in America knew the gospel. But we no longer live in a country where we can safely assume this. People exist all over our community with no real understanding of what Christians actually believe. Many have a stereotype in their minds that is the product of the news, movies and TV shows, and political arguments, but lack actual awareness of the hope upon which our lives are built. In addition, many Christians are sensitive to the fact that others don’t want our beliefs rammed down their throats. Effectively, we think, “If they already know what we believe, and if they don’t want to talk about it, shouldn’t we wait until they ask us?”
The problem is what most of us know by experience—they almost never ask! There are people around us, in desperate need of the gospel, who don’t know enough to even begin to ask. They think they know what Christians believe (usually some amalgamation of moralism and political stances) and no Christian stands up to talk about the hope that we have in the death and resurrection of Jesus. That hope—that Jesus’ death and resurrection have brought forgiveness to us, conquered sin and death, and offer new life in the Spirit—remains beyond their reach, because Christians stay silent about the one issue we should be vocal about—the gospel!
Of course we need to approach people with sensitivity and listen before we talk! Of course we need to love with actions as we evangelize! Of course people are more willing to listen if we form friendships first! But if the church stays silent on the gospel, we are missing the calling of Christ! As a church, let us begin to pray that God would give us opportunity to proclaim the gospel, and let us begin looking for opportunities to do so!
Steven+