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Things
of Lent, and Lutheran Schools Week
"Lent" One More Time
I KNOW you'll get sick of hearing this,
but the word Lent comes from the Old English word "lencten" or "lengthen,"
meaning "Spring," when the days lengthen. For those in farm country,
it's a time for doing all the things we need to do to prepare the ground
to bring a bountiful harvest. The ground is cleared of debris from
last year's crop, the ground is tilled, problems dealt with, and seeds
are planted, all awaiting the arising of new crops, new life.
It's not a great leap to go from agriculture
to using the Lenten season to prepare the hard ground of our hearts for
the new life we celebrate at Easter. Therefore, during Lent we pray, examine,
repent, AND PLANT NEW SEEDS!!! This last part is often forgotten,
but if we want to see growth, something has to die (seeds, and Jesus on
the cross) so that there can be new life.
It's Planting Time
What kind of seeds, if any, are you planting?
They can be seeds of love, placed in the heart of a person who is hurting.
They can be seeds of service, involving ourselves in a worthy project (and
if we can't find any, then we need to develop some LEADERSHIP and get something
going!) They can be seeds of personal spiritual growth, reading a
devotional calendar, a book, or getting involved in a Bible study.
These seeds can be deliberately starting and maintaining a new friendship.
Seeds of many kinds can produce wonderful
fruit, bringing real joy to our lives and carrying a witness of God's presence
and love into the world. That's a great way to think of the daily
life of the church, I think.
Lutheran Schools Week - Many Seeds
Planted!
A seed planted over 50 years ago, which
continues to bring wonderful fruit, is our Preschool and School ministry.
Lives continue to be touched - by the hundreds every day! The Word
continues to be shared. Children are loved. Families are brought
closer to Christ. Seeds planted, a harvest is brought in.
As one way to remind us of our participation
in this ministry of seed-planting, the Preschool sang at the 2nd service
on March 4th, and the Day School kids will sing at both services on March
11th. We lift up the ministries and celebrate the kids because we
want you to remember that you are a part of this. We also celebrate,
to rejoice, because God has called us to this task, and God blesses us
with the people needed to do the planting and harvesting.
So, during this Lenten season, we can prepare,
plant, and be mindful of what has been planted within us. Also we
give thanks for the school ministries God has given us here at Trinity.
On to Easter!
Pastor Larry
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