Ash Wednesday | 40 to Life

Forty to Life

Typically, when a judge hands down a sentence of forty to life it is essentially a death sentence, just not so immediate.  Forty to life is more of a long, drawn-out time to perhaps reflect on wrongdoings and the victims of such for at least forty years and perhaps until the end of one’s earthly life.  There are some who receive such a sentence who choose to change nothing about their lives and instead simply become more angry and bitter.  There are others however who choose to spend that time attempting to reconcile their past and grow closer to God.  

Ironically, such a sentence isn’t unlike our experience of Lent.  Lent is truly about our choosing to either continue walking away from God’s purpose for our lives and in essence walking away from God, or instead choosing to grow closer to God with more intention and dedication.  And the Holy season of Lent begins with what is essentially our death sentence.  On Ash Wednesday we are reminded of our mortality through the imposition of Ashes on our foreheads and the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  And during the rest of the entire season of Lent we are to have our mortality and our finite amount of time on this earth at the forefront of our minds as we more intentionally consider the choices we are making with that time.  We are encouraged to plumb the depths of our souls to uncover all that is dark and ugly that we often attempt to hide from God and others and allow God to wipe it all clean.  Lent is a time to reconcile our past and present in order to grow closer to God.  If done with intention it may prove to be a somewhat difficult forty-day sentence, but it is also one that leads to Easter and true life.

That is precisely why we hope you will join us for a daily devotional series (except for the feast days of Sunday) we are calling Forty to Life; forty days of reflective offerings that will lead us to the true life offered us through Easter.