Lent: The Joy of Repentance

It’s a standing tradition for some churches to burn the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.  Then these very ashes are imposed on foreheads on Ash Wednesday (Celebrated this week, Feb. 18).  Although I had not done the burning of the palms for ashes in previous churches, this year I did.  I was encouraged by some of our members to consider it, and I’m grateful for the nudge. I love the metaphor it represents concerning repentance and joy in the Lenten season.

The cycle of repentance in the Lenten season is much like the cycle of the burnt palm branch. The very palm branches waved in joy as Christ came into Jerusalem, were reduced to ash.

This is a picture of repentance.  As Christians we are encouraged toward self examination.  Once the Holy Spirit reveals something He wants us to change in us, our response should not be to beat ourselves up to earn God’s love and acceptance, but to receive his love and power to change.

Christians are at our heart a joyous people, but we are not perfect. Therefore we must examine what parts of our life may still need to be touched by the healing hand of God. Repentance doesn’t mean we see ourselves as a horrible person.  We are a redeemed person who bears God’s image, yet still needs refining.  The burnt up parts of us that turn to ash in repentance are those parts we didn’t want anyway.

In the devotional our church is reading together this season (link below), Pete Grieg asks,

“Is there a particular pain, pleasure, preference or passion in my life which has too

great a hold on my heart and is robbing me of peace?

This is a great question to ask this Lenten season.  The answer to the question can lead to a healthy repentance of an area of idolatry in our life from which we should repent.  Then Pete instructs,

 “Clenching it now in my fists, I open them slowly before the Lord, letting go and

receiving his peace”

God has already paved the way of healing through Christ’s death on the cross, we simply walk into this healing.  Sometimes, however, it can feel like a loss.  We can beat ourselves up, especially if our sin has hurt others.  Gently opening our clenched fits is an apt picture of repentance.  It doesn’t have to be torturous or guilt ridden.  Just like a child who has picked up something dangerous, we open our hands slowly and let the Father take it from us.

This is the attitude of repentance during Lent.  This is the ash of the palms that marked our foreheads.  But it’s not the end of the story. In just a few weeks we will be waving palm branches, once again, and celebrating Christ’s Triumphal entry on Palm Sunday!  It is the cycle of repentance.  David, the Psalmist, says,

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

Ps. 30:11

The end of the story is never in question. We know our story’s end is eternal life and joy.  We can rest in the fact that His love is complete; His sacrifice is sufficient; and our acceptance is unconditional.

In the meantime, we get to lean in and know God better.  We get to bring God portions of ourselves that are not yet touched by His restorative power.  If you are holding something back, He doesn’t look at you with anger, but with a longing for you to repent and release those things to him.

When you repent, don’t primarily think about what you are giving up.  Think about becoming closer to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Ask God to show you more of Himself through your outward expressions of repentance.  If you are fasting during Lent, think about the God who is the bread of life.  If you are giving up social media connections for this season, think about the God who wants to connect with you with the time usually given to instagram, Facebook or Tick Tock.  If you are turning off the news in the evening, think about the God who has all things under his control even when you aren’t watching.  Draw closer to Him internally and the external changes will have even more impact.  Let Him change your heart.

His love for us led him to the cross; this love then leads us to repentance.

The blessing I read over the burning palms this week finished with these words, let’s make them our prayer now:

Bless us through our Lenten journey

to the waters of new birth at Easter.

May our fasting be a hunger for justice;

our alms, a way of making peace;

our prayer, the song of humble and thankful hearts.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.  AMEN

Blessings and peace,

Rev. Todd

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Note: If you would like free material to pray the Bible everyday during Lent, I recommend you download Lectio 365.  It is a free devotional that gives scripture, reflections and prayers 3x a day.  Its a wonderful tool if you want to draw closer to God this Lent.  Here are the Links: