O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Dependent on when you read this, we are about halfway through the season of the church calendar called Lent. During this 40-day period, Christians may fast from something like sweets, social media, television and spend time reflecting on Christ’s sacrificial death. I started Lent out strong. I love a good challenge. I love goals. I love ticking things off my to-do list. I did not give up social media this year and I resonated and laughed out loud at the internet’s rebranding of Lent as the Mark Wahlberg 40-Day Challenge.
Like Marky Mark, I treat Lent (and a whole lot of life) a bit like a 40-day challenge. When I missed four days in a row of my Scripture plan which makes it hard to catch up, and left the book I was reading someplace between Tennessee and home, I went into a bit of a shame spiral. I wasn’t going to meet my Lent goals. I was going to miss the target of walking into Easter with my to-do list complete.
By God’s grace, the replacement for the book I am reading arrived and this is the hymn of adoration I read yesterday:
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me.
Charitie Lees Bancroft
As I flipped back a few pages in the book and forward a few pages in the book, I was reminded that over and over this book uses poems, hymns, and ancient words to point out my freedom from guilt, shame, and despair. I was reminded that the whole purpose of Lent is to call us to ruminate on the work Jesus did on our behalf, to learn from his suffering and sacrifice. Yes, I see the irony of my shame over not meeting my Lenten goals being the very tool that the Holy Spirit used to remind me of my need for a Savior.
I am not abandoning my goals for Lent. I might not meet them either. That’s okay. It might be a healthy thing for me not to meet my goals every once and awhile. It might help me embrace God’s gift of limits and lean into my dependence on Jesus even more.
My prayer for our church is that each one of us would be dependent on Christ. In this season of Lent and every day, may we be reminded that we have a Savior.
Behold him there, the risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace.
One with himself, I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by his blood.
My life is his with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
Charitie Lees Bancroft
Pastor Julie