Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

Menu for This Section

• Pastor's Pulse
• View from the Loft

Pastor's Pulse

by Paul Leggett, Pastor

The Beginning of Lent

March 2011

“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! 
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.”
– Psalm 133:1-2

This month marks the beginning of Lent.  Ash Wednesday is March 9 this year.  We will be having services that day at 12 noon and 8 pm.  We will also be having Lenten services on Wednesday evenings at 8 pm throughout the Lenten season.

People invariably think of Lent as a season when you “give something up.”  This has the advantage of making us think about what is truly necessary and also teaches us a measure of discipline (I gave up comic books one year!).  However I think there is more to Lent than simply doing away with something we enjoy for a forty day period.  I would prefer to think more of Lent as a “going deeper” rather than a “giving up.”  Lent, like Advent, is a season of reflection and preparation.  By going deeper I mean exploring more about our faith and how faith shapes (or doesn’t shape) our lives.  The discipline of Lent is the occasion for reflecting on how Christ has changed our lives and continues to change us until we are more fully molded into his image (Galatians 2:20).

This is an impossible task to do by ourselves.  The observance of Lent cannot be an individual effort.  It requires the support and encouragement of the community.  One of the positive aspects of Lent is experiencing this community aspect.  The psalmist describes the joy of living together in unity.  It is like oil being spilled on the head, running down upon the beard of Aaron, over the collar of his robes.  It all sounds delightfully messy. 

We are a varied and changing congregation.  In a very pressured world there is a real challenge to establish a sense of community.  One of the time honored ways, rooted in Scripture, to experience this community is through sharing meals together.  Therefore, on the first Sunday of Lent, March 13, we will have a Lenten supper in the Fellowship Room following the 11 am worship service.  We encourage everyone to attend, especially those who have been visiting our congregation.  It is our hope to do this more than once during this Lenten service.  Again in the words of the Psalmist how “very good and pleasant” it is to live in unity.  Our unity goes even deeper.  We are all members of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” – Romans 12:5