From Spectators to Participants

Last weekend, millions gathered around screens for the Super Bowl and the opening of the Winter Olympics. I loved watching the opening ceremony. There is something powerful about being part of a crowd, don’t you think? We cheer. We celebrate big moments. We groan and even tear up. We admire the discipline and determination it takes to reach the pinnacle of sport.

It is easy to be a spectator, isn’t it?

It is easy to watch greatness from the couch or from stadium seats.

As we prepare to begin Lent next week, I keep thinking about another crowd. The one who surrounded Jesus during his final weeks.

Some were devoted.
Some were opposed.
Some were confused.
Many were simply watching.

They waved palms.
They listened in the temple courts.
They stood at the foot of the cross.

And most stayed in the crowd.

Lent is not a season for spectators. It is a season for participants.

Ash Wednesday, February 18, marks the beginning of this six week journey. We will gather to receive ashes and to be reminded that we belong to God and that we depend on God. It is not meant to be heavy or dramatic. It is meant to ground us. It is a step out of the stands and onto the path of discipleship.

This year there are meaningful ways to walk that path together.

Beginning the Sunday after Ash Wednesday, join us right after worship for a new class, From Ashes to Alleluia. This class will explore the season’s lectionary scriptures alongside the hymns and worship songs that bring Lent to life.

On Tuesday mornings, starting February 24th, I will lead a Lenten Bible study, An UnLikely Lent that will help us see Holy Week through the eyes of those often overlooked. Together, we will discover courage, companionship, and freedom in places we might normally miss.

The resurrection did not unfold in isolation. It happened in the middle of a crowd.

The question for us is simple.

Will we remain spectators?

Or will we step forward as participants and allow God to shape us into Easter people, alive and renewed in Christ, fully engaged in the redeeming work of Christ in our world today?

Let’s walk this road together, allowing the Spirit to lead us and gently recalculating our lives in Christ.
 

With Gratitude,

Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC