WELCOME!

“It is not repentance that saves me; repentance is the sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Je-sus.”
- Oswald Chambers

“There is no justification without sanctifica-tion, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedi-ence do not grow.”
- Martin Luther

“The season of Lent is here. Are you ready for six weeks of dreary music and feeling sad?” It was not that many years ago that some of us would hear that type of remark. Maybe you still do. It is not surprising, really, when we consider the cultural images and the most common question regarding the season of Lent: “What are you giving up for Lent?” Yet there is something counterintuitive about this attitude at a time when, in Pennsylvania, the days are slowly getting longer and buds are steadily appearing on the trees.

It may help, however, to remember that the very word “Lent” comes from an Old English word for Spring, and the purpose of repen-tance is the renewal of our lives through the renewing of our baptismal identities – indi-vidually, but also as a community. “Feeling sad” is neither here nor there, but repentance, turning around and starting anew, gives the longer days and the greening grass a deeper meaning. And all the sudden, Spring and the season of Lent do connect.

This year’s Lenten Services here at Robeson bring with them a great opportunity to be (re)introduced to the richness of our spiritual disciplines, which in turn help us to find a deeper meaning in our relationship with God and each other. The Christian church has a wealth of resources to share in this area.

So, if you want to grow spiritually, if you are looking for ways to repent, to start anew, and to find deeper meaning in your Christian identity, these Lenten services will give you ample opportunity to practice the disciplines of prayer, charity, fasting and personal reflection that lead to growth and will guide you through your own Lenten journey.

At the end, our Lenten journey may be a summary of our jour-ney here on earth, just as Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Can-terbury, once said: “I go through life as a transient on his way to eternity, made in the image of God, but with that image de-based, needing to be taught how to meditate, to worship, to think.”

May this Lenten season be an opportunity for all of us to grow as God’s beloved children!

Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Michael