• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • LCA Portal
  • Login to LAMP
  • LCA Online Donations
  • Contact

Qld District

Engaging people with God's love in everyday life

24 McDougall Street
Milton QLD 4064
Phone 07 3511 4000

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • Our District
  • News & Events
    • Calendar
    • Synod
  • Support for Congregations
    • 2022 Floods
    • Drought Support
    • COVID-19
    • Ministry & Mission
    • Governance Change Project
    • Worship
    • Administration
    • Contact

It is not easy to explain Lent!

23 February 2021

by Bishop Paul Smith

Many people know that I did not grow up in the Church. I was eventually confirmed in the Lutheran Church when I was in my later teen years during my time at St Peters Lutheran College at Indooroopilly.

I remember knowing all about Shrove Tuesday as a child. It was pancake day. Even in my family home we had pancakes with honey or syrup. I don’t remember anything about Ash Wednesday or Lent, even though Ash Wednesday is just the day after Shrove Tuesday.

Lent is a hard “Church Year” season to explain to people who aren’t usually part of the life of the Church. Lent is the time that the Church speaks of mortality and of sin and of the life of Jesus Christ travelling to Jerusalem where he is going to die a horrible death. Without the knowledge of faith, this season of the year is difficult to understand.

The good news of Jesus is the story of his death on the cross for the sin of the world.

The good news of Jesus is the story of his rising on the third day to reveal his victory over sin, death and the power of the Devil.

The good news of Jesus is this message of all that God has done for us, because of God’s great love for us.

So, Lent is such a very hopeful time of the Church year. We know the ending of the story. Most of all we know this is the story of God’s grace for sinners… even us.

We travel the journey of Lent to be well-prepared for Good Friday. We take up these weeks of Lent to appreciate the “goodness” of the Friday where we see the Lord of Glory suffer and die on the cross. He dies to reveal God’s love for the world, that sin would be forgiven and humankind would have peace with God.

Therefore, the message of Lent is of God’s abundant love for sinners shown in the cross.

There is a well-loved Lenten hymn, O Sacred Head Now Wounded from writer Paul Gerhardt which teaches the grace of God in the work of the cross, summarizing what we call the “Great Exchange”. In verse four of the hymn, Gerhardt wrote:

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour,
‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favour,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

As you travel these weeks of Lent, may the feet of God walk with you, and God’s hand hold you tight.

In Christ,

Paul

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Please follow and like us: https://www.facebook.com/LCAQD/
fb-share-icon

READ MORE STORIES ABOUT bishop, church, Lent

« In the valleys the Lord travels with us!
Journeying Through Lent as Easter People »

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Bishop
  • Blogs
  • Community News
  • Feature Stories
  • Job
  • Living Faithfully
  • Ministry & Mission
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Synod
  • Uncategorised

Archives for all Posts

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • Tags

    Anniversary bishop Christmas church community Conference congregation Convention of Synod coronavirus Council Covid-19 Devotion devotions District Church Board Easter event faith Feature fellowship gospel Growing Church Young intergenerational Job Vacancy LCAQD Lent LEQ Living Faithfully Lutheran Services LYQ Meetings ministry mission mission & ministry Paul Smith prayer Professional Standards PSD retreat Synod Synod 2022 Training Walk my way Women workshop youth

    Footer

    Contact Us

    24 McDougall Street Milton QLD 4064
    Phone 07 3511 4000
    Email district@qld.lca.org.au

    © 2023 Lutheran Church of Australia

    Privacy Policy • Disclaimer

    Designed by LCA Communications