If I started off in song right about now with the above lyrics, I’m betting the majority of you would be able to finish them…well at least the first line. Just in case you can’t come up with them right away, let me remind you:
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year
There. Happy now? More likely than not, I’ve successfully planted a Christmas tune firmly into your ear. If it’s not there yet, you’re welcome to go back and sing it aloud this time. That will surely do it. (No thanks necessary.) As you might know, this song has made the rounds for years. With everyone from Andy Williams to Johnny Mathis to Garth Brooks to Harry Connick Jr. to Jennifer Lopez recording versions of the hit, I am certain that you have heard the tune at least once in your life. And now, at this point, you’re wondering, “Why on earth did you get me humming Christmas songs at the start of March?” Well, that’s a fair question, and I will set your minds at rest…it wasn’t just to torment you. (For that, there are other songs that are much, much worse.) It also wasn’t because I had that song stuck in my head and I wanted somebody else to share in my “joy.” Nope. There’s a better reason for it, and that is for us to focus on the season and the time of year that we are entering into at this present moment.
You see, we have just started the season of Lent which will lead us into Easter. Although Edward Pola and George Wyle (the composers of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”) would disagree with me, I would like to argue that the current season is actually the most wonderful time of the year. In fact, I’ve composed a little re-write of the lyrics for you. Here goes:
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the daffodils blooming
And people A-chooing ‘cause allergies are here
It's the most wonderful time of the year
I know. My version is much more catchy. Anybody know someone in the record industry? I could work out the rest of the lyrics, and we’d fill a gap in the market. Spring-time music. It would be an instant hit.
All kidding aside, this is a wonderful season, this season of the approaching spring. There are reminders of life popping up all over the place. Birds are chirping. The air is warming. One can venture outside without worrying about slipping on ice or scraping off the car or trudging through piles of yucky, brown, snowy slop. Though I would stop short of calling the spring my “favorite season” (I like to be impartial, and I don’t want to make the other seasons jealous.), there are many benefits to springtime, the weather and the new signs of life after a dead and dreary winter are just a few of them.
What makes this season truly wonderful is the opportunity that we have to prepare for Easter and all of the things that we celebrate around that day (and no, I’m not talking about the Easter Bunny or the Cadbury Easter Lion or even how much I enjoy the occasional Peep & Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg.). No, the thing that makes this season special is that we are presented with an opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds and spirits and lives to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Without being trite, Holy Week is like no other week in history. From the celebration of Palm Sunday to the tears of blood shed in Gethsemane. From the victory promised by a King riding on a donkey to the victory that was realized with a King being raised from the dead. From the friends that betrayed to the Friend that promises to never leave. From a crown of thorns to an eternal throne. On and on and on the events of that week forever changed the course of all eternity, and this season, the one we are currently living through, this season called Lent is an opportunity for us to once again prepare our hearts, our minds, our spirits, our lives to worship Jesus and celebrate his life, death, and resurrection at Easter. Yes, friends, this is the most wonderful time of the year.
And so, I must ask you: How are you going to prepare?
How are you going to prepare for Easter? This year? 2022? During this time, during this season, right now in this moment, are you prepared to prepare for Easter? Are you willing to participate in Lent?
Now, I recognize that Lent can get a bad rap. We can think that it boils down to a time when we’re asked to give up chocolate or eat fish on Fridays or somehow deny ourselves in some other way. All of these things aren’t necessarily bad. In fact, it might be beneficial to us if we were to give up chocolate, or eat fish on Fridays, or deny ourselves in some other way. None of those practices are inherently wrong; however, they should not be the point. Instead, this is an opportunity for us to grow in Christ, to draw closer to the Father, to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to prepare for Holy Week and for Easter celebrations. With that in mind, is there something that you can do for this season, for Lent, that will strengthen your relationship with Christ?
Have you been meaning to have some quiet time each day? Lent is a great time to start.
Have you been wishing that you read the Bible in the morning? Lent is a great time to start.
Have you been hoping to see an increase in your prayer life? Lent is a great time to start.
There are so many things that we might try or do or adopt or give up, and now, right now, is the perfect time to do them.
Join a small group, invite friends over for fellowship and prayer, give up that chocolate and donate your candy money to someone who is hungry, spend time volunteering at a food bank, set an alarm on your phone for 1pm each day and spend 5 minutes in prayer, call people who are lonely, memorize a Psalm that speaks to you, try fasting for one meal once a week, read new devotional material…take the opportunity to be drawn closer to Jesus during this season. It is a great time to do so! In fact, it is the most wonderful time of the year to do so. I’m not asking for you to do the whole list, in fact I’d advise against it, but I am asking if you’d be willing to take one small step, make one small change, do one thing differently for this season and see what happens. No magic formulas. No do ____ and you are guaranteed ____. Nothing like that. Just a small step of faith during Lent to see if that helps promote a deepening of your relationship with God.
Are you in? Will you do it? Will you participate in Lent and take that small step with me? I hope and pray that you will!
At this point of the devotional, I’d typically turn to our Scripture passage for the day and highlight how it connects with all of the things that I have been writing about thus far. I’d love to do that this time as well; however, there is another problem that I need to address. Here it is: Lent isn’t a Biblical command. There is not a Bible passage that I can reference. There is no example of an Apostle practicing Lent. Jesus didn’t say anything about it. In fact, if you spent the season of Lent looking for the word “Lent” in your Bible, you’d not come up with anything. Plainly and simply, the practice of Lent is not found in the Bible at any point.
Why do it then?
Well, for all of the reasons mentioned above, as well as for the reason that the Church (big “C”, Body of Christ, faithful followers of Jesus) has historically found this to be a significant practice. From the time of the early church, many disciples of Jesus have found the season of Lent to be productive, fruitful, life-giving, enriching and holy. There is room for us to learn from sisters and brothers in Christ who have experienced Jesus during Lenten seasons, and we might seek to do the same. Additionally, the 40 days of Lent (you don’t count Sundays) have plenty of Biblical parallels (think 40 years in the wilderness for the Israelites or the 40-day fast of Jesus). Even though Lent is “not in the Bible”, it is still a biblical practice to fast, to pray, to prepare, and to seek God. No, it is not mandated. There is not an explicit demand to refrain from chocolate bunnies; however, there are plenty of reasons to engage in Lenten practices.
Alright. I’ll digress. I don’t want to badger anybody, but I do want to encourage you. My heart as a follower of Jesus is to grow to be more like Christ. My heart as a follower of Jesus is to also see other followers of Jesus grow to be more like Christ. Bottom line…I am trying to encourage you to take an opportunity of the season to do so. Who knows? Perhaps by the end of Lent, 2022, you too will be singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
~ Pastor Chris
As a bonus, here are some passages for further reflection as we journey through Lent:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
~ Hebrews 4:14-16
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
~Matthew 4:1-11
