More Like Jesus

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Day Five

We spend so many of our days trying to be someone else.

When we’re young we spend a lot of playtime emulating our heroes, either from the ball field or the big screen. We model ourselves after the athletes and superstars to whom we look up, and we hope that one day we can be like them.

When we’re older we may no longer imitate celebrities, but we are still so often trying to be someone else. We push ourselves to present the image we think others want to see, whether they’re our supervisors, colleagues, or friends. We can even try hard to be different for our spouse, and if we’re truly honest with ourselves we are often attempting to be the version of ourselves we see in our heads, the one we approve of, the one we like better. For so many of us, so much time and energy in our lives is spent seeking to be another person.

Deep down inside we know something’s wrong. Deep down we feel the need to be different, to experience a change so profound it affects our very identity. The problem is, every single image or model we look to in this world will ultimately fail us in that quest. Tragically, we are now finding that to be true even for many leaders of the church to whom we look up and with whom we want to identify.

The invitation to us, at all times but in a particular way during Lent, is to set aside any desire to be like anyone other than Jesus. As Paul says in Ephesians:

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”—Ephesians 5:1 (ESV)

Our desire should echo John the Baptist, who said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) What John meant for the outer, earthly world we seek for the inner, personal world. We yield to Christ, dying to self, and find that by the power of the Holy Spirit we become more like him. Paul paints a beautiful picture of this in 2 Corinthians:

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”—2 Corinthians 3:18

During Lent this quest to emulate Jesus takes on a profound dimension as we ponder his self-sacrificing love. What we discover is that being like Christ is not just about choosing actions that emulate him, it’s about rooting our identity so deeply in him that his life begins manifesting in ours. And when that happens, we become the truest version of ourselves, because we are living as we were created to be.

Oh Lord
Change me like only You can
Here with my heart in Your hands
Father, I pray
Make me more like Jesus

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) Who in your life has modeled the life of Jesus well for you? Spend some time in gratitude to God for people who have demonstrated the fruit of love, patience, forgiveness, love for God, and other qualities that are worthy of being desired.

2) How do you understand what it means to “be like Jesus?” What are some of the healthy ways you’ve found to pursue that in your life? What are some of the biggest hindrances in that journey for you? How is the Holy Spirit inviting you to seek it at a deeper level as you journey to the cross?

3) When the fishermen Peter and Andrew were invited by Jesus to be his disciples, they immediately dropped their nets to follow him. Entering into the life Jesus has for us sometimes requires us to leave behind parts of ourselves that, while not bad in themselves, are not part of our new identity in him. As you consider prayerfully God’s call to you to draw closer to Christ and be more like him, are there areas in your life he may ask you to hold very loosely and maybe even let go? Spend some time asking God to help you discern what in your life nurtures your life in Christ and what might not.

4) The prayer of this song, adapted from John the Baptist’s words, works really well as a simple breath prayer: spend some moments sitting in silence taking deep breaths, and as you breathe out pray, “Less of me,” then praying “More of you” as you breathe in. Taking time to pray this way during the day can be a wonderful way of re-focusing on Jesus in the midst of everything else life throws at you.

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”—Ephesians 5:1 (ESV)

Living Hope

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First Sunday

Those who start a Lenten journey might be a little confused if they were to check their calendars and do a little math.

Lent is traditionally thought of as a 40-day season of fasting before Easter. The number makes sense, after all, 40 is very Biblical. It’s the number of days of rain in the Genesis flood, the Hebrews spent 40 years wandering in the desert, Moses fasted for 40 days on Mt. Sinai when receiving the law, and (most significantly for Lent) Jesus went to the wilderness and fasted for 40 days while being tempted. So having a 40-day fast before Easter seems right.

But what doesn’t seem right, at first, is the math. If you look at a calendar and count from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter, you find that there are actually 46 days in all (in fact, not all church traditions agree on what day Lent ends, making the number different and the confusion even greater). So what’s up with that? How many days is Lent anyway?

Part of the answer to all the confusion lies…in the Sundays.

There are six Sundays in Lent, and while they are part of the Lenten season, they are not considered to be part of the Lenten fast.. In fact, Sundays are traditionally always thought of as “feast days.” Some refer to them as “mini-Easters,” and that’s a very apt phrase. They are the day the church gathers in worship and celebrates the saving grace of God in the proclamation of the Word, the lifting of praise, and the communal sharing in a remembrance of what Christ has done for us. On Sundays we all dwell richly in the story of God’s amazing love, and the joy of the resurrection cannot be completely ignored or else the story would be incomplete. It is perhaps cast in a somewhat different light, as the call of our Lenten journey still beckons to us even on Sundays, but it is there. It reminds us where this journey is going. It helps us remember that God is unfolding a much bigger plan. And it offers us hope.

In these difficult days the message of the “mini-Easters” is needed more than ever. As more than one person has observed, it feels like we’ve been “living Lent” for two years. And while it’s still important to set aside time in these 40-ish days to be reminded of our call to take up our cross and follow Christ, perhaps Sundays take on an even more significant role as we navigate the waters of our current crises in desperate need of a hopeful word. Paul’s words in Romans 5 seem more relevant than ever:

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”—Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

Hope does not put us to shame. What a timely word, not only for a journey to the cross, but for the journey we find ourselves on right now in the midst of so many things that can bring despair. On Sundays during Lent, let’s celebrate a “mini-Easter.” Let’s feast on the glory of God’s redeeming love. Let’s embrace the invitation to hope.

The cross has spoken
I am forgiven
The King of Kings calls me His own
Beautiful savior
I’m yours forever
Jesus Christ
My living hope

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) What are some ways during this Lenten journey that you can mark Sundays as different, as days set apart to dwell in the hope of God shown in the cross and the empty tomb? Are there some Scriptures, prayers, songs, or other intentional practices you can build into these “mini-Easters” as a way of celebrating?

2) As you seek to dwell in the living hope of Christ during difficult days, what points of connection (to God, to his word, to others) might be helpful for you? What points of connection are already meaningful?

3) What do you think Paul means by “hope does not put us to shame?” What is the relationship between hope and shame, and how is that relationship important for us during our Lenten journey?

4) Can you think of a time in your life when God’s loving kindness “tore through the shadows of your soul?” How did he show up in the midst of your need? Spend some time offering gratitude to God for his tender mercies and timely gifts.

5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”—1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Turning Away

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Day Four

The word “repent” can be very misunderstood sometimes. For some it means simply acknowledging the truth of sin in our lives. For others it means feeling deep regret for our sin and its consequences. And still for others it means asking for forgiveness so that we no longer carry the weight of our sin.

All of these are part of the process we go through when we repent. But even as wonderful and transformative as each of these actions can be, they are incomplete in and of themselves. There is still one more thing that is needed before we can truly call it “repentance,” something that can be summed up in a single word:

Change.

If a driver is heading the wrong way down a one-way street, it’s not enough for them to acknowledge their mistake, feel sorry for it, and ask the other drivers to forgive them. Those are good things, but when they’re all done, the truth remains that the driver still poses a serious threat to others and to themselves. They need to stop. They need to turn around.

They need to change direction.

In Acts 3 when the Apostle Peter speaks to those amazed by the healing of a lame beggar at the temple gate, he uses the opportunity to share with them the message of salvation, issuing this call:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”—Acts 3:19 (NIV)

He pairs the idea of repenting with the physical act of turning: away from sin and towards the God who has power to set them free. The Greek word Luke uses here for “repent,” metanoeo, means to change one’s mind. It’s more than acknowledging our sin and being sorry for it, it’s making a conscious decision to leave it behind. It’s committing ourselves to God’s process of transformation in our lives and walking away from the things that hinder that growth.

This is a helpful image for us on our Lenten journey. The very nature of the season tells us our destination: the cross of Christ. But we are not only walking towards something, we are walking away from something as well. We are walking away from the “sin that so easily entangles” (Heb. 12:1), away from our old self and its rebellious ways. We walk away as a choice, in an act of deliberate rejection that opens us to receive what God has for us.

The call to us goes beyond acknowledging, feeling remorse, and confessing. If we want to embrace true, biblical repentance, it also means turning away.

I’m turning away from the things that I do
That I know aren’t pleasing in your sight
I’m turning away from the messed up mindset
And the things that I know aren’t right
I’m turning away from the past the hurt and shame
All the things that had me bound
I’m turning away, turning away

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) One seminary professor identified four components of repentance:

-turning away from evil,
-turning toward God out of love for God,
-through faith in Jesus and his saving work
-so that one may receive the forgiveness of one’s sins.

Spend some time reading each line separately, slowly, and prayerfully. Note the movement of your heart and soul as you do so: what catches your attention? Is there one part that God is calling you to spend some time contemplating more deeply?

2) Before there is repentance, there is remorse. But remorse for our sin can lead to cycles of guilt and shame that dim our awareness of the love of God because we feel unworthy and unlovable. How might we give the Holy Spirit more freedom in our lives to do the tender work of conviction in ways that lead to spiritual health, rather than falling victim to our own self-condemnation?

3) Some are concerned about any language that suggests we “earn” our salvation, and rightly so. What is different about the choices and actions involved in repentance and “salvation by works?”

4) The song refers to the burden of “the past, the hurt, the shame, all the things that had me bound.” Are there areas of hurt and shame related to your past sin that still burden and bind you? How might God be inviting you to a deeper level of repentance and freedom in those areas?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“…for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”—2 Chronicles 30:9b (NIV)

Yes I Will

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Day Three

There is a verse of Scripture that we sometimes miss when we’re reading through the life of Jesus, found in chapter 9 of Luke’s gospel. It’s an understandable oversight, since it’s followed almost immediately by one of the more striking interactions between Jesus, James, and John in verses 54-55. In light of what happens with them it’s easy to lose sight of what Luke just told us in verse 51:

“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”—Luke 9:51 (ESV)

It is perhaps the most significant turning point (literally) in Jesus’ three years as an itinerant rabbi. After months of teaching and ministry in Galilee he turns south and “sets his face” towards the city of Jerusalem. It’s an image, not just of intention, but of resoluteness, like that of a prophet given an urgent message to deliver to the people (Ezek. 21:2).

Jesus knows what awaits him in Jerusalem. Earlier in Luke 9 he warned his disciples exactly what would happen when they get there. He will suffer. He will be rejected. He will be killed. Yes, he even lets them in on the greatest secret of all, the truth that he will be raised. The greatest glory will be revealed, but not before the greatest suffering. Jesus is well aware of this. He knows the terrible things that lie ahead, and yet he goes. He sets his face to go to Jerusalem. He has heard God’s call, and he answers with a single word.

“Yes.”

There are a number of different images we can embrace for our personal journey of Lent: dying to self, turning away from sin, embracing the profound, sacrificial love of God…good “action” words to sit with during these 40 days. Dying. Turning. Embracing. And now as we see the determination of Jesus to obey his Father’s will and go willingly to a place where his very life will be forfeit, we can add another:

Following.

During Lent we, too, “set our face to go to Jerusalem.” We walk with Jesus to the cross, to reflect not only on his death, but also our own. Because on this journey we are reminded of the words Jesus spoke immediately after telling his disciples what awaited them in the city:

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”—Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)

Lent is where we embrace the call of Jesus to die to ourselves. In acknowledging our sin we are acknowledging all the things that lay claim to us, the idols we cling to in our desire for self-sufficiency. When we follow Jesus to the cross and lay our lives at his feet, those idols lose their grip on our souls. In their place we take up the very sacrificial death of Jesus, not just once, but every single day. It’s not easy. The cost is great because our wounds are so deep, but in his wounds we find both healing and a call to go even deeper still. And like Jesus, we answer the call with a single word.

“Yes.”

In the passion of Your sacrifice
I saw the prophecy fulfilled
Healer of the world, the wounded cry
I heard You say come follow me
So I will, yes I will

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) The call of Christ is to take up our cross “daily.” How can we build times into our day to be intentional about this invitation? How might we create space for reflection on the cross and our need?

2) What in your life has the greatest power to divert you from the road to the cross? How can you regularly offer that to God, asking him to rob it of that power?

3) In the words of the song, the cross is both “terrible” and “glorious.” How does that tension resonate with you? Do you gravitate towards one or the other? Is there one that you resist? Is there perhaps an invitation to see the cross in a new way during these 40 days?

4) What does it mean for you to know that Jesus invites you to walk this path with him? Imagine it’s a literal journey and ponder what you’d like to talk with him about as you make your way to Jerusalem together. What questions would you ask him? What would you hope to hear from him?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”—Galatians 2:20 (CSB)

What Wondrous Love Is This

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Day Two

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That is a calendar truth.

Lent begins in the love of God. That is a spiritual truth.

At any time of year, but perhaps especially during Lent, the way we talk about confession and repentance is a delicate thing that must be treated with precision and care. In some churches and circles it becomes little more than a message about how horrible we are…and how angry God is. The language of grace is discarded in favor of words that are punitive, sometimes even petty, and the “good news” of the gospel becomes anything but good.

As we begin our journey to the cross for Lent, we need to root ourselves in the truth that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The invitation to take this journey is one that comes from a heart of love, not disapproval.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”—John 3:17 (ESV)

The journey of Lent is not one of condemnation, but transformation. God desires nothing less for us. He wants to set us free. He wants to reveal Himself to us and through us. He wants to see us conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29). These are not the desires of an angry, petty deity…they are the desires of One who loves us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) and knows how best to remove any barrier between that love and our hearts.

There will be temptations over the next few weeks to allow the depth of our brokenness and need overwhelm us to the point that we forget what sets us on this journey in the first place: the incomprehensible, unfailing, wondrous love of God. Don’t ever let the false voices of condemnation drown out the beautiful truth at the center of this song:

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul?
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul?

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) What practices help you stay rooted in the love of God? If you struggle to think of any, Lent is a wonderful season to ask God to guide you into some new ways of connecting to his love.

2) This lyrics of this song are a powerful testament to God’s love, yet the tune is written in a minor key, which is usually associated with sadness and sorrow. Why do you think this pairing was made? What does it evoke in you?

3) In another verse of this song we’re reminded of what Jesus left behind to come to Earth and give his life for us: “Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.” Take a moment and ask God to grant you during this Lenten season a deeper understanding of the humility Christ showed by submitting to the cross. How is our Lenten journey also one of humility, and how does it help us identify with Jesus?

4) Common barriers to fully receiving the love of God are the false images of him that we have been exposed to through our lives, which cause us to believe things about him that are simply not true. If you have those kind of barriers in your past, how might God be inviting you to release them to him and receive healing?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Come Ye Sinners

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Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday we begin a journey to the cross.

Not because we deserve it. Not because we’ve earned it.

Because we’re invited.

God’s astounding grace calls to us in the midst of our brokenness and says, “Come.”

The season of Lent is not a time of self-improvement or habit-crushing. It’s not a time when we try to “do better” and somehow inch a bit more towards perfection. Lent is a season of brutal honesty about the state of our souls. It’s a journey to the cross of Christ, where all pretense and posturing fail. Lent is a time when we acknowledge our deepest, most profound need: forgiveness. We are fallen, broken people who need a Savior, and during Lent we embrace the invitation to repentance.

What a beautiful truth it is that God does not expect us to “clean up our act” before coming to him. He is already aware of what we need. He knows what burdens us, what binds us, what imprisons us. The freedom we so desperately seek is available to us if we will simply acknowledge the truths about ourselves he already knows completely.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry till you're better
You will never come at all

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) As Lent begins, what are ways you can mark the beginning of this journey? Is there a meaningful way you can visually or devotionally remind yourself of this daily invitation to “true belief and true repentance?”

2) Read this lesser-known verse from this hymn and spend some time reflecting on its meaning for you:

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requires
Is to feel your need of Him.

3) Some feel that the focus of Lent is too “negative,” choosing instead to fast-forward to the empty tomb of Easter, or to ignore Lent completely. Do you sense any resistance within yourself to an honest journey of self-reflection? What might be at the root of any resistance you feel?

4) John Wesley called repentance “convincing grace.” How do you understand the link between repentance and God’s grace? How does acknowledging this link transform our journey to the cross?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”—1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV)

Lenten Song Reflections

Music and Thoughts for Your Lenten Journey

Welcome to Lenten Song Reflections, a daily resource for your 2022 Lenten Journey from Abiding Way Ministries. Each day during Lent you will find a short reflection here based on a worship song, hymn, or other piece of music that echoes the themes of this season. It is our prayer that this resource will draw you into deep appreciation and worshipful gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus as you reflect on the meaning of the cross over these 40 days.

Lent is a time of self-examination, humility, and repentance. Each of the songs offered will center on these invitations, and will be accompanied by a few thoughts and questions for refection. Use these in your personal devotions, or perhaps listen together with family members or friends, spending time in conversation afterwards.

Each song will be linked to an online opportunity to listen, and will be embedded in the post if possible. Due to the policies of some streaming sites, the song may be preceded by an advertisement, which is unfortunately out of our control. You may wish to mute the advertisement and sit in silence until the song begins.

God bless you as you draw near to Him during this important season.

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