Mourning and Comfort: Lent 2022
In Matthew 5:4 Jesus says something strange: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” I tend to think, “Blessed are those who have nothing to mourn over.” What is Jesus talking about?
Some think he is referring to mourning our sin, which leads to the comfort of forgiveness. We see this kind of mourning in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14): the Pharisee claims his goodness before God, while the tax collector simply says, “God be merciful me, a sinner!” The tax collector alone was justified.
I’m sure that this “mourning of personal repentance” is in view. We should mourn our personal sins. But Jesus’ statement is broader than that. We should also mourn the ways that we’ve been sinned against, the unmet needs around us, the injustices that we see near and far, and death itself — that greatest enemy that is still hard at work.
Think of it this way: In every house people get sick. Usually, other members of the household console and support the sick member until they are well. But I have a terrible lifelong habit of refusing all support when I am sick. I cut off all human interaction and refuse to admit anyone into my room, even the dog. I collapse into myself and wait for the sickness to pass on its own, and in this way I end up refusing comfort. In other words, I’m not a mourner — I’m a self-sufficient sufferer who is trying to make it through on my own.
We all need comfort, but it is only the mourners who admit their need for it. Jesus is saying, “Blessed are those who know they need comfort and ask for it.”
As Lent begins, ask yourself, Do I see any broken, evil, or imperfect thing that should be mourned? Don’t look away, if you can bear it. Bring it to Jesus in mourning, with confident hope in his promise to make all things new. The first instance of new creation was the resurrection of Jesus, which we will celebrate on Easter Sunday. During Lent, we name the other things that await renewal, and cry out for Easter’s promise to be fully consummated.
Below are some specific ways that we invite you to observe Lent with us in 2022.
STORIES ON SUNDAYS: 3/6–4/10
Each Sunday during Lent, beginning on Sunday 3/6 and leading up to Easter, we will hear from a different member of our congregation share about an experience of mourning. These are stories that reflect the pain points of many others in our church, city, and world: the strangeness of aging, the violence in our streets, the frustrations of educating distracted youths, the exhaustion of mental illness, the cycle of homelessness, and more. Come listen to how Christ transfigures our hopes for each situation, and track with the stories from past weeks on our blog as new ones are shared.
LENTEN RESOURCES
Keeping a Holy Lent: this is a good place to start, if the season of Lent is new to you.
Lent & Easter Family Guide: walk with your kids through the season of Lent using this guide, put together by Alyssa Wood!
Noonday prayer: Consider spending 15 minutes in prayer during lunch each day. Morning or evening prayer is wonderful, but how often do we lose Christ in the middle of our workday? Consider using An Order of Service for Noonday in the Book of Common Prayer, and bringing your prayers of mourning and hope to the “free intercessions” section at the end.
Introduction to Fasting: in this sermon from 2019, we break down some biblical teaching on both fasting and feasting.
Kickstarting your devotional life: see my New Year’s post on “resources and reads” if you are looking for guides on prayer and Scripture Reading.
ASH WEDNESDAY: A DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYING FOR UKRAINE
On Wednesday 3/2, Ash Wednesday, we are joining with many churches around the world for a day of fasting and prayer for the nation of Ukraine. There are several ways to participate:
Read and pray: a friend of our church who serves in Ukraine has posted regular updates of the war, from his perspective.
Join us for our Ash Wednesday services, at 7:00 am or 6:00 pm for our Ash Wednesday service at Cumberland and Coral Streets.
Fast with us: forsake a good gift — a meal, all meals for the day, TV in the evening, etc. — for the sake of devoting your time and attention to prayer.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES & GATHERINGS: 4/10-4/17
4/10, Palm Sunday: At our normal 9:00 am service, in addition to the normal elements of our service, the children of our church will lead us through Scripture readings that guide us through the events of Holy Week.
4/15, Good Friday: At 5:00pm, come and help us pack meals for neighbors in need at 2038 E. Cumberland Street. We will then join together upstairs with the congregation of Urban Worship Center for a 6:30pm worship service.
4/17, Easter Sunday: Join us for our 9:00 am worship service!
I pray God’s blessing on you all, as you mourn and are comforted this Lent.
Love,
John