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The Reformation Rose
From the Pastor’s Computer... Dear Friends, It is now the end of February and already we are half way through Lent. Some of you may have memories of times gone by when people seemed to take the Lenten Season more seriously. It was a time of abstinence by our Roman Catholic friends. There was a sense of solemnity and seriousness about repentance and getting our lives on track again. These sentiments were in keeping with many centuries of Christian traditions. It was natural for us, long ago as children, to approach this time of the year with a bit of awe, and a bit of fear. This year, you will note that the Lenten Service themes are not so dominated by a sense of gloom. As we look at the 10 Commandments, I have tried to help you understand them as signs of God’s Grace. Our theme “God’s Law—a Word of Love” helps us reframe our understanding of what God is about in His dealings with mankind. I don’t know if you’ve ever met a Chicago Cubs fan. A real Cubs fan will go the games with out much expectation that the team will play a perfect game. When they make an error, or when they let in some runs, they sit there and groan a little bit inside. But just let the Cubbies finally do something right and make a double play, and everyone shouts and hollers with joy. Well, it’s my opinion that God and the Angles of heaven are a little bit like Cubs fans; only they are not cheering a baseball team, they are cheering you and me. When we make mistakes and fail to live up the standards of the Almighty, God and the Angels groan a little bit inside. But just let you show some love and compassion to those around you, and God and all the crowds of Heaven are on their feet, cheering you on. You know, we don’t have to be down in the mouth and sad in order to be serious about our faith. It is my hope that our Lenten journey would lead us into an ever increasing sense of awe--awe of the incredible love of our Savior. May your Lenten and Holy Week experience prepare you for a joyous Easter celebration. By the way, I am a Chicago Cubs fan, and I am a Reformation Lutheran Church fan. I want you to know how proud I am of the countless times you have reached out in generosity to your church and to those in need. Our Hunger 89104 program is truly helping hungry children in our neighborhood. The generous outpouring of love and gifts to the residents of Desert Lane Care Center, and the layettes for the indigent new moms at UMC are just a few of occasions for the bleachers in heaven to resound with cheers.
God bless you in our mission to be the Heart of Christ in the Heart of the City, Pastor Loren
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