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A Time of Renewal

Dear Salem Family,

As Meghan pointed out in her recent letter, last fall our stewardship campaign was entitled “Now is the Time.” It was a call for all of us to get active in the mission to which God has called us here at Salem. As we moved into the Season of Advent, our focus switched to a “Time to Wait,” for in Advent the church focuses on how we can actively wait for Christ to come again. Following Advent came the Season of Christmas, and it was a “Time to Celebrate,” and then came the Season of Epiphany, a “Time of Revelation.” For the past several weeks, we have used this time to focus on all the ways God has revealed, and continues to reveal, to the world who Jesus is, God’s Son.

And now it is about time to change again. Yes, in just a few days, we will once again focus on a new time, a “Time of Renewal.” Ash Wednesday, March 1, is the first day of Lent, and it is then that we will begin our journey of forty days through the Season of Lent.

In the waters of our baptism, each of us is given new life in Jesus, and God promises that we will be united with Christ and all the baptized. As we go about our everyday lives, however, it is often easy to be tempted away from the ways God calls us to live and be seduced into thinking that the ways of this world are best for our lives; however, the ways of this world are not life giving and they do not promise life eternal. Lent is that time of year when we make space in our lives to focus on renewal, the renewal of our baptism and renewal of the way of living that God calls us into every day.

To help us in our daily commitment of our baptism vows, there are disciplines that we profess can and will help us keep our focus on God and God’s ways, fasting, prayer and alms-giving, but doing these things is not enough. Our challenge is to do them in such ways that they help us come to know God. Oh, we know about God, but do we really know God? Do we know God’s Word so that it permeates in all we do? Do we know God’s desires for our lives so that we can live lives free from the darkness that surrounds us? Do we know God in ways that makes us thirsty for more? Do we know God in ways that create in us the desire to share God and God’s ways with the world? For the forty days of Lent, we will focus on renewing our faith and renewing our lives so that we can be the light and salt in this world that has been made new again in Christ.

I pray you will join me for this time of renewal, a time when we, as individuals and as a faith community, strive to renew our commitment to God and God’s ways.

Shalom, Pr. Dave

Tags: Weekly Word