Bikini Season for Christians

In a few months, magazines at our local check-outs will begin to feature their seven tips and nine steps to getting our bodies ready for summer.  Similarly, with today being Clean Monday and Ash Wednesday's arrival on Wednesday, this is the season where traditional Churches begin an emphasis on the virtue of penance (through Lent).  It is a 46 day spiritual bootcamp in preparation for Easter.  I call it bikini season for Christians.

There's an aspect to this that is simply religious motion and is almost humorous.  Yet, how can saying no to sin and yes to Christ be a bad thing?  I don't like being a Hallmark Christian and I don't want our Church to become a Hallmark Church, but I do want a relentless love for Jesus and His Gospel to be my/our hallmark.  If Holidays and traditions help this, I am all for them.

I also find it interesting, and in an anecdotal way, coincidental, that in a season where the traditional Church prepares for a formal pursuit of holiness, our non-traditional Church has been experiencing the same emphasis, albeit less formal.  Perhaps there is wisdom in the traditions.  Perhaps God graces us in working through both vehicles.

In regard to our gathering yesterday, I am of mixed emotions.  In preparation for the message that was shared, I began the week with a stronger than normal desire to seek God's direction on a message that wasn't just informational, but transformational.  God gave me a word to share that was hard, but assured me that it was the right word for the time.  I often wrestle with a critical nature and so anytime I am in a position of speaking bluntly or of rebuke, I struggle with the veracity of its source.  I knew it would be a hard word, but I was confident that it came from a place of love and not fear.

Following the message, I wanted to run to my office and cry, but felt that doing so would be an easy out.  I knew that some people would love what was shared and others might of hated it.  I can stand the critics, but I am very uncomfortable with praise.  I know what a sham I am and that I am never worthy of praise.  If anything good comes from my mouth it is completely a gift from God.

My hope yesterday was that it was received in the way that it arrived.  My hope for today is that we would now be faithful to respond in obedience to what the Word and the Spirit said to us.  If you missed our gathering last Sunday, you can listen to the message at www.parksidechurch.ca/podcast.

On the homefront, Angela is going through her fourth round of chemo today.  Her sister will keep her company and my mom is with us for the week to help with Angela and the kids.  We actually got to go out on a date last night!  We went for dinner and a show.  It was a nice time because it felt normal.  This week I'm working at the College and getting ready for our Church's AGM.

I hope you have a great week!  The text that was an inspiration for this bikini season came from:

Joel 2:12–17 (ESV)

Return to the Lord

¹²  “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, 

“return to me with all your heart, 

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 

¹³  and rend your hearts and not your garments.” 

Return to the Lord your God, 

for he is gracious and merciful, 

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; 

and he relents over disaster. 

¹⁴  Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, 

and leave a blessing behind him, 

a grain offering and a drink offering 

for the Lord your God? 

¹⁵  Blow the trumpet in Zion; 

consecrate a fast; 

call a solemn assembly; 

¹⁶  gather the people. 

Consecrate the congregation; 

assemble the elders; 

gather the children, 

even nursing infants. 

Let the bridegroom leave his room, 

and the bride her chamber. 

¹⁷  Between the vestibule and the altar 

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep 

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord, 

and make not your heritage a reproach, 

a byword among the nations. 

Why should they say among the peoples, 

‘Where is their God?’ ”