Every
Sunday morning, I enjoy a guilty pleasure. Before I unlock the church
and preach my sermon to the rafters, I head down to the Express Mart
for the $1.99 doughnut and coffee special. For $2.15 after tax, I
get to enjoy two glazed slices of heaven with a caffeine chaser.
The other day I began to think about the season of Lent. Traditionally,
Christians celebrate this season as preparation for Easter. As we
read the stories about Jesus on the way to his death in Jerusalem,
we are supposed to take some time to examine our own lives. As we
consider the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, we too can learn
to make a sacrifice in our lives.
Christians in our day and age give up things like doughnuts and coffee,
or television, or gossiping, or cigarettes. I am a little bit skeptical
about these sacrifices, because they often sound a lot like the New
Year’s resolutions from last month. Am I giving up coffee and
doughnuts because I want to make a sacrifice as a spiritual exercise
to understand the path of Christ a little bit better, or am I simply
trying to take some grease and caffeine out of my diet?
Then I realized- if I give up doughnuts, what am I going to do with
the extra money in my pocket? If I am really making this sacrifice
for Jesus, then I better honor him with my money, too.
What are you giving up for Lent? More importantly, why are you giving
it up?
The Missions Committee at Park Terrace has a way to help you answer
this question. Throughout the season of Lent, they will receive an
offering for 4 local charities. To participate, all you need to do
is pick something to sacrifice. Then, figure out a dollar value for
this sacrifice each week. It may be the value of a latte on the way
to work, one day a week of your cable bill, your vending machine budget,
or the cost of Chinese take-out. Whatever you give up for Lent, give
it up 4 something. Pick one of the four charities (Wyoming
Children’s Home, Mom’s
House, Sky Lake scholarships,
or Tioga Habitat for Humanity),
and donate weekly the amount you would have otherwise spent.
This Lent, don’t give up something for your own selfish reasons…give
it up 4 someone else.
By the way, please don’t eat doughnuts in front of me until
Easter.
In Christ,
Pastor Nick
