We are entering the season of Lent. Just as the season of Advent helps us to prepare for the birth of Christ at Christmas, Lent prepares us for Good Friday and Easter.
Lent is about Jesus. It is a season of preparation and repentance in which we are invited to make our hearts ready for remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus. During these 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday, Lent is a time for us to remember that we are sinners in need of our Savior. It's a season to reflect on our lives, to reconsider how we are living in light of the presence and power of God made available to us in Jesus. It's a time to reflect on our lives as they are, and how they could be.
During this season, we want to refocus our lives on God and the call he has placed on us. That's why it's a common practice at Lent to give something up. But it's not about the giving-up or missing that which we've removed from our lives during this season – it's about clinging to Christ when we realize how often we turn to the perishable things of this world. It exposes the sin we bear when we set anything as more important than the One who is sovereign over all.
In order to bring unity to the church in 1563, a Protestant confessional document was written in the form of a series of questions and answers for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. It is the Heidelberg Catechism. Our Lenten sermon series will explore those teachings, beginning with the first question, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?"
Occasionally, we break from our usual sermon series to highlight a mission or celebrate a special occasion. These are the special services which don't fit within a series.