“Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!…” Joel 2:1
Kings did this from time to time in ancient days; they would call for a fast, a time for the whole community to rend their clothing, put ash on their heads, and repent of their sinful ways. But here in Joel, it’s God, not a human leader, who calls for the fast.“Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!…” Joel 2:1
In today’s world, sin is not a popular concept. Too often, “sin” is reduced to the times that Jesus was looking over our shoulders and heard us say a bad word. If all we’re talking about is relatively trivial offenses (or non-offenses that people think are offenses) committed by individuals, we are not getting at exactly what “sin” is.
Sin is a world where things are not as they should be. A world where greed is rampant, and we are distracted, and we only have to acknowledge truth if it confirms our pre-conceived feelings and beliefs. A world where our buzzing phones and computers and tablets so often demand our attention.
Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sound the alarm on God’s holy mountain. Life is fragile. We are not here forever. Slow down, live intentionally, and enjoy the time that we have. Lent is a wakeup call to remind us of what we already know but rarely acknowledge: we are dust, and we will return to dust. We are not infinite. We are mortal. Yet, we are God’s beloved dust. We are baptized into Jesus life, self-giving, and death; then, we rise to life transformed walking through the depths of salvation history before we are called home to be with God forever.
This years Lenten series focuses on Jesus’ renowned Beatitudes, applying them to our Lenten journey today.
Ash Wednesday-The Promise of Heaven- Matthew 5:3
1st Week of Lent-The Promise of Comfort-Matthew 5:4
2nd Week of Lent-The Promise of Inheritance-Matthew 5:5
3rd Week of Lent-The Promise of Righteousness-Matthew 5:6
4th Week of Lent-The Promise of Mercy-Matthew 5:7
5th Week of Lent-The Promise of Seeing God-Matthew 5:8
Throughout Lent, come along with us as we explore life transformed. Come listen more closely to God’s voice in the silence. A voice that changes your life, calls you to pay attention, and enables you to live life to the fullest doing all the good you can do in the time you have. “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain…for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near!” Joel 2:1
In Christ,
Pastor Dan