Cross People

It is Ash Wednesday.  In the Lutheran tradition, Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent.  A time to reflect, remember, and repent during the 40 days before Easter.  A time to remember our life, and what God has done for us through His Son, our Savior, on the cross.  A time to remember we are dust and to dust we will return.  A time to release our burdens and trust our sins are forgiven.  I time to forgive. 

I find our Wednesday evening Lenten services a blessing, as long as I keep my eyes on what Jesus has done for us.  If lent becomes only about me, my sins, my burdens, my imperfections, then I have the wrong focus.  We visit those places, but we don't take up residence there.  We take up residence in the arms of Jesus knowing that in our brokenness, we are forgiven people of God.  We are, as Ann Voskamp writes, "people of the Cross". 

Ann wrote an amazing post about "people of the cross" that speaks so well of our response during this time of great evil in our world.  It must be shared, so I hope you will stop over to her blog and read, The Call For The Next 40 Days.  It is lengthy, but it is life changing.  It is one of the most powerful writings I have ever read.  I pray it touches you as much as it has Joel and myself on this Ash Wednesday.