Fish on Fridays: How Can Christians Worship Through Lent?

Matthew Miskimen — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 20:12:10 +0000

Lent. When I was growing up, I didn’t know much about it other than people got ashes put on their foreheads and ate fish on Fridays. To be honest, I never really gave it much thought. To me, it was always what others did, not me, not the church I was part of. But several years ago, we began attending a church where there was talk of Lent and Lenten readings each Sunday. At first, I was a little uncomfortable. Is this something in which I can participate?

What Is Lent?

At its simplest, Lent is a forty-day period that usually ends sometime during the week preceding Easter. It is meant to commemorate the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, so some Lenten traditions do include self-sacrifice and special acts of charity during this time. Most involve confession and repentance. But for all religious traditions, Lent is a time to prepare for Easter, a time to actively prepare ourselves through Scripture, prayer, and repentance. We know there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor and His love, but I think the very idea that we can do nothing, that it was all the work of God, sometimes causes us to take it all for granted.

Because we were, through God’s grace, crucified and buried with Christ – with no pain and suffering on our part – it seems easy. And it is:

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
Acts 16:31

But if we don’t remember what that gift cost, we can also forget its value. We perhaps forget what sinners we were, how desperate our need was, and how great a sacrifice Jesus made for us, not just in His death, but in His very life here on earth.

But the other part of the story, the reason why Lent has an end, is because we were not only crucified and buried with Jesus, forgiven and made righteous, but we were also resurrected with Him into eternal life.

I Can

Attending this new church forced me to think about Lent. Whatever it was in my mind before or maybe what it is for others, it did not have to be for me. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most important events in the history of the world. Believers, hopefully, are always mindful of this, but it is not wrong to spend a little extra time focusing on Jesus, the cross, His love and sacrifice for us that allows us to experience the amazing unearned and unending joy of Easter morning.

By the time you read this, Lent this year will have already begun, but the number of days doesn’t matter. Use whatever time you can to reflect on what a selfless gift Jesus gave us. The reflection, meditation, and prayer of the days of Lent can lead us to appreciate and value even more Christ’s sacrificial death for us.

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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How Can We Love Our Neighbor As Ourselves?

Matthew Miskimen — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 01:00:00 +0000

Have you heard or read the Scripture from Matthew to “love your neighbor as yourself”? That’s a tall order that may leave you asking, “how can I do that?!” Today we’ll talk about some prayers and Scriptures that can help us renew our minds and wrap our brains around this difficult commandment.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22.36-40 NIV

Pray

“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4.19

It’s important to remember that we can’t follow any of the instructions in the Bible without God empowering us to do so. Our human nature won’t allow us to “love our neighbor as ourselves” without knowing deeply that God loves us. The best place to start is prayer. Talk to God about who you need to show love to. Ask Him to help you and to be secure in your relationship with Him. If you’re having trouble loving someone, talk to Him about it. There’s nothing you can say that will surprise or offend Him. He wants to help you and give you the ability to obey Him.

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Study

Reading what the Bible has to say about people may help change your perspective. Especially if you realize those verses aren’t just talking about you, but also about the people that annoy you.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2.10 NLT

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4.8 NLT

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
Romans 12.9-17 NLT

Practice

The next time you’re confronted with a difficult person, stop and pray for help. Think about how that person was created in God’s image; how Jesus died for them; how they may be going through the hardest time in their life, or they may have been deeply affected by trauma earlier in their life. Practice showing grace and love even when it’s hard. God will be there to help you.