Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 Great Lent -An Invitation for Transformation

Romans 12:1-21
 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. ”  Romans 1:2
 

Just a few years ago, if you were a parent with young kids, one of the big fads was a product called Slime.  Someone took Glue and mixed it with flour, and suddenly this product was something kids wanted to play with.  You can add glitter and other things to it and make it different colors. There were Slime Parties, and the whole purpose is to make this blob that your kids would then play with.   This blob had no particular shape, and it would be slightly sticky to the touch, but you can put it in anything or put it on anything and it just takes the shape of wherever you place it.  It conformed to any shape or surface you placed it on.  As a parent you would look on with disgust and apprehension as you can imagine how dirty this slime was getting.  It would pick up whatever dirt and dust, and would just be in your child’s hands, as they play enjoying the feel of this slime in their hands.   When you finally had enough disgust, you tell them to throw it out because it is so dirty, they don’t understand and are quite disappointed that you want them to stop doing something that seems so enjoyable.  
Sometimes I think the Great Lent, follows a similar pattern.  Like that slime, we conform to our culture around us, and without knowing it pickup dirt, sins, bad habits, broken relationships and if we never take a break, our behaviors have the opportunity to harm us and others.  We pick up behaviors or thoughts or feelings that are not the will of God, simply by surrounding ourselves with what we hear, see, taste, touch.  We can find ourselves more easily making decisions that are based on culture, than on Christ.   The Great Lent is an opportunity for us to stop conforming to the world, because even though a lot of things we might be experiencing in this world seem harmless, they do affect our mind and our hope and ultimately lead us away from a life filled with Joy. This means maybe turning down the volume of secular music to listen to worship music.  It might mean taking a break from watching an entire Netflix series in one giant 6 hour marathon.  It might mean turning off completely the “Most Trusted” and/or “Fair and Balanced” news sources for the real source of peace and security.
Something happens to Slime when you take a break and leave it alone, it becomes less easy to conform and shape, because it becomes more solid, it also becomes less tacky, or sticky so it picks up less dirt.  After the Great Lent, we should be transformed as well.  Slime is impossible to keep clean, but unlike slime we have a God that cleans and covers us with His grace.  Lent is not a time to trust in our ability to  live right or follow a prescribed set of rules or prayers, because it’s impossible for man to be clean.  Lent is instead a time where we spend time experiencing and enjoying a loving God that saw our predicament and came down to make a way where there was no way.  This Lent I pray that we will take the time to be transformed in ways to experience God, so that we can enjoy life abundantly. 

 

Prayer

Dear God help us to live a life dedicated to knowing your good and perfect will.  Help me to be overwhelmed by your grace and show others overwhelming grace today.  Help me during the Great Lent to experience you and your grace fully. Help me to be your hands and feet for my brothers and sisters, and do so in the love you show me. . Amen


Thought for the Day
Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves.. What is it that stands between us and God? Between us and our brothers and sisters? Between us and life, the life of the Spirit? Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment’s hesitation. “ - Catherine Doherty
 

Shibu Mathew
Epiphany Mar Thoma Church