It’s Lent again—the 40- day period (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter, those six weeks (approximately) on the church calendar observed by Christians as a period of preparation and repentance before the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. Many Christians observe Lent by adopting the traditional practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in some new, intentional, and focused way.

I recently read an article by Methodist pastor and theologian Clifton Stringer in which he makes the following point: Lent is not New Year’s Resolutions Round Two! Stringer points out that we live in a culture so fixated on self- improvement that Lent can sometimes become nothing more than an opportunity to work on ourselves, even to the point where our Lenten fasting becomes a Lenten “diet.” But Lent is not about us; Lent is about Jesus.

Stringer writes, “In Lent we might give up something, do a specific prayer discipline, or change something to push ourselves spiritually. But the point is not self-improvement. The point is not even just self-denial. The point is to feel a little discomfort, a little pain, and by that to be constantly reminded of the love of our Savior Jesus Christ, who denied himself for our salvation.

If you observe Lent with prayer and fasting, use that prayer and fasting first of all to remember Jesus. If Lent is not about getting to know Jesus Christ better, it really is a waste of time.” (Ministry Matters, February 2012).

I love the notion of observing Lent as a time for getting to know Jesus Christ better. Of course, that’s something we strive for all year long. But Lent affords us the opportunity to focus our thinking, our speaking, our praying, our giving, our reading, and our service in ways that intentionally draw us closer to our Lord. Lent is not about us; Lent is about Jesus. May our prayer this Lent echo the words of Richard, Bishop of Chichester: “Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly. Amen.”

Mary Saylor

Most of us enjoy the various traditions surrounding Valentine’s Day. My husband George and I had our first date on Valentine’s Day, so it’s always a special day for us. But the origins of the holiday aren’t really very romantic at all. The history of St. Valentine is a little sketchy, but the story goes like this:

Valentinus was a Roman priest during the third century, a time when Christians were suffering persecution under Emperor Claudius II. The emperor had issued an edict that members of the Roman military could not marry, thinking unmarried men would make better soldiers. But Valentinus continued to secretly perform Christian weddings and was sent to prison for his efforts.

Many legends surround his imprisonment. One of them says Valentinus prayed for a young girl named Julia who could not see and she was healed of her blindness. The story goes that when the order came for Valentinus to be put to death, his last words were written in a note to Julia signed, “from your Valentinus.” Valentinus was executed the next day, February 14.

While we may think of Valentine’s Day as a time for hearts and flowers and candy, the legend of St. Valentine focuses our thoughts elsewhere. Valentine was a martyr for his faith who was unafraid to stand up for what he believed, even when it meant challenging the powers of government and resisting the edict of the emperor. While St. Valentine has come to be known as the patron saint of love and marriage, he is also remembered for his faith and courage.

As we enjoy our Valentine’s Day celebrations, may we also remember St. Valentine. And may we devote ourselves not only to our loved ones, but to the kind of obedience to God that St. Valentine’s life exemplifies. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mary

Does it seem to you that Christmas decorations appear earlier every year? When I was a child, all the stores put up their trees and wreaths and window dressings the day after Thanksgiving. But now we start celebrating Christmas even before Halloween arrives. Our local Hallmark store has had Christmas ornaments on display since July.

A friend and I have had discussions about this. I prefer to wait to begin Christmas preparations at least until after the Thanksgiving stupor has worn off! But she loves everything Christmas and delights in anything that gets the season rolling as early as possible. And the malls are on her side!

In any case, Advent is upon us and all too soon Christmas will be here. Our Emmanuel family will be celebrating this holy season in a variety of ways. There will be opportunities for giving and helping as well as times for singing and celebrating. I hope you will take part in the festivities.

And I encourage you to invite you friends and family who may not have a church home to join in as well. Invite them to come with you to an Advent worship service or to one of our Christmas Eve services. There’s no better way to welcome Jesus than by welcoming others into his family.

May you and yours enjoy this Christmas season and all the preparations of Advent. And may the One who is coming soon bless you and keep you in his care.

Mary Saylor

Last month my husband George and I went on a grand adventure. We took a cruise up the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel, stopping at various places along the way to see the sights and sample the local culture and cuisine. The weather was cold, but not cold enough to prevent our exploring parts of Europe we’d never seen. The scenery was beautiful, and we visited dozens of windmills, castles, forts, and cathedrals. The food was spectacular, both onboard ship and in the local restaurants— where we dined on wiener schnitzel almost every day!

One of the things I most enjoyed about our trip was visiting the many places of worship included on our itinerary. It gives one pause to think that at one time in their history, the people of Europe were so committed to their Christian faith that they invested such enormous amounts of their time and energy and resources to erect those beautiful sacred buildings to the glory of God, not just in the cities of Cologne and Heidelberg and Strasbourg, but in every little village dotting the Rhine.

While it is lamentable from a faith perspective to realize that many of these places of worship are now attended by very few people or have been repurposed to house museums or shops, their existence still bears testimony to persistent faith of those who built them. The stonemasons who laid the foundation of the cathedral in Cologne in 1248 may not have known that that great church would not be completed until 1880, but they would certainly have been aware that their children and grandchildren, and even their great- grandchildren, would not see the completion of that great edifice. Yet they labored on with faith that what they were doing was to the glory of God and would someday reach completion, no matter who sat on the throne or what direction history would take.

I don’t remember much from my high school Latin classes, but I do remember learning the Latin word discere, which means to learn. And it’s from a related Latin word, discipulus, that we get our English word disciple, which means pupil, student, learner. Being a disciple of Jesus means that we are always in student mode. We never finish the course; we never graduate. The business of discipleship is a life- long learning enterprise.

As we get into the swing of the new academic year, I encourage you to consider ways in which you might grow in your own discipleship. Our congregation offers several small groups that meet regularly for study and growth together. Watch your Sunday bulletin for a complete listing or contact the church office to find out which group might fit your schedule. And during the fall we will be hearing from members of our congregation about what being a disciple of Jesus means for them not only in the context of our worship life together, but in the setting of our weekday lives away from our campus as well.