ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE

This Wednesday we'll be having an Ash Wednesday service here at New Life beginning at 7pm. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is a day when we focus on repentance and identifying with Christ in His suffering for us on the cross (Philippians 3:10-11). It is a time to remember how Christ suffered and died for us. During an Ash Wednesday service, there is a time for confession, reflection, and commitment.

Our service is very interactive. Part of the service is a community celebration. We'll sing together, share in God's Word together, and take communion together. But another part of our service allows you to design your own personal experience. We'll have four stations set up for you to participate in individually. You can participate in as many stations as you like or none at all. At one station you can write down a commitment to deny yourself (in essence fasting) something during the Lent season in order to better reflect upon what Jesus sacrificed for us on the cross. At another station you'll reflect on confession, repentance, and forgiveness of sin in your life. Another station will be a graffiti wall where you can write a prayer alongside the prayers of others for what you want God to do in your life during Lent. At another station we'll have the imposition ashes as a sign of humility. And when you get done doing stations or if you don't want to do any of the stations at all, there will be music and scriptures on the wall playing to help you focus on Christ.

I hope you'll join us for our service. It will be about 45 to 60 minutes long. We have activities planned for children from birth to 3rd grade in our children's area. Make plans now to be a part of this worship experience. One heads up: be thinking about what indulgence you might be willing to give up until Easter in order to help you better focus on the sacrifice Christ has made for you.

CLINGING TO LIFE OR RISKING LIFE?

I was reading an article by Mark Galli, the senior managing editor of Christianity Today about how followers of Christ cling to longevity and health in a way that can be unhealthy for us spiritually. Below is an excerpt from Mark's article:

"A week ago, the Los Angeles Times reported that a new study shows that "terminally ill cancer patients were nearly three times more likely to go on breathing machines or receive other invasive treatments if religion was an important part of their decision-making process." This was true even though such treatments didn't improve a person's long-term chances.

In other words, it was the most religious who seemed to want to hang on to life the hardest, no matter the prospects. The writer, Karen Kaplan, bent over backwards to be charitable about it, saying, "And for some, extending life by days or even hours buys precious time for prayers to be answered." She then quoted the Rev. Percy McCray Jr., director of pastoral care and social services at Midwestern Regional Medical Center: "They're giving God every opportunity to operate as they believe that he can or will, which obviously leaves the door open for miracles."

Nice try, but the reason we seek invasive, risky treatments is to get our miracle—so we can live a few years longer.

Some of the devout argue that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our bodies. Yes, up to a point. But it seems clear that the height of discipleship is to put our bodies at risk for the gospel, no? If Paul's priority was to steward his body, I don't think he would have put himself in situations in which shipwrecks, beatings, and hunger were a regular part of the regimen. And throughout the church's history, saints (the exemplars of faith) end up sickly, thin, ragged, and exhausted, and die prematurely precisely because they "left nothing on the floor" when serving God and others.

I wonder sometimes if stewardship of our bodies—from keeping fit to living long—has become another way of trimming the hard edges off discipleship. So tonight, do I work out and burn some calories and lower my stress levels, or volunteer at the homeless shelter? Given our busy schedules, that is often the real choice we face, and sadly many today think of them as equal and worthy obligations."

We have to be careful about the altars we lay our lives upon. Too many of us as followers of Christ cling so tightly to this life that we forget it's not all about here -- it's about eternity. I'm reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NIV): If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. I want to be sure that I don't cling so tightly to this life that I forget to spend and risk my life in order to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Phil. 3)

***You can read Mark's complete article HERE