Shrove Tuesday

Howdy Church,

Today is Shrove Tuesday . . . or Fat Tuesday . . . or Pancake Day . . . or, if you ask your friends in New Orleans, Mardi Gras . . . or, in Rio de Janeiro, Carnival.

For many of us in the Baptist tradition, it is a day that passes without much notice. But for our brothers and sisters of other Christian traditions, it is a truly significant day, and one which might be worth our consideration.

You may have never even heard of that first title-- Shrove. Don't worry, it's not a word we use very often. According to my vast research (mostly consisting of Google and Wikipedia), shrove is the past participle of the English verb "to shrive". Yeah, that wasn't very helpful for me either, but fear not, there was more research! Shrive means "to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of confession and doing penance". Shrove Tuesday is the day before the beginning of a season of the church year called Lent, which we will begin tomorrow with Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a season of reflection and confession. During Lent, we are reminded of our own sinfulness and our need for a Savior. In a word, during Lent we will shrive--we'll seek to be reminded of the absolution of our sins by Jesus Christ and confess those sins which still bind us.

The good news of Scripture is, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We often say as Christians that we are Easter people--no doubt that is true! We have Abundant Life now precisely because Christ's resurrection has changed everything forever.

Unfortunately, we are often guilty of wanting to run to Easter Sunday and forget about the sacrifice of Good Friday. We are quick to remember our sins are forgiven, but often just as quick to forget, "he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

This year, we do not want to be guilty of forgetting the sacrifice of Christ or our own sinful mortality which made that sacrifice necessary, and that is why we are participating in Lent this year.

We will begin Lent tomorrow. For the next 40 days (excluding Sundays), we will join with millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in focusing on our need for a Savior. Our journey toward Holy Week begins tomorrow, with an Ash Wednesday Service. At that service, we will have time to confess our sins to the Lord and will join in a powerfully symbolic reminder of our own state without Christ.

If you talk with those from other traditions about Lent, they might share with you that traditionally Lent is a time of fasting and repentance. That is why in some places today is called pancake day (getting rid of all the sugar in your house--this also explains Fat Tuesday) or carnival (carne vale - "farewell to meat"). Perhaps you will fast during Lent, perhaps not. However, whether you call today Pancake Day or Mardi Gras or Carnival, I pray that today you will spend time with your Father in Heaven, asking Him what He might be seeking from you in our Lenten journey together this year.

I pray you will join us tomorrow night at 6pm for our Ash Wednesday Service. I think you will find it to be a meaningful time in your life and in the life of our community as we begin our journey to the cross together. May we encourage one another as we shrive together in the weeks ahead. Amen.

~Peace
Ben Winder