^{Editor's Note: This post was written by Dr. Doug Beacham, Executive Directof of World Missions.  Dr. Beacham's post is one of a series of guest posts on Lent.}

Ash Wednesday begins forty days of intentional discipleship reflection on the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These forty days, known in the churches of the west (Protestant, Roman Catholic) as “Lent,” and in the churches of the east (Orthodox) as “Great Lent,” continue through Holy Week and conclude on Holy Saturday before Easter Sunday.

These forty days reflect the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness combating and overcoming the temptations of Satan: temptations that challenged Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (Matthew 3:3) and were manifested through power, arrogance, and trust in the material things of this world. These were not the final temptations of Jesus life (Luke 4:13), but the forty day encounter provided the needed spiritual preparation for our Lord’s ministry of the Kingdom of God.

The word “Lent” is a Teutonic word that originally meant the spring season. The practice of spiritual preparation during this season, often accompanied by intense fasting, dates back to the early centuries of the Christian faith when new converts prepared for their baptism, usually on Eastern Sunday. By the fourth and fifth centuries the practice had evolved to something similar to what we know today.

I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, a time when Christianity was more culturally pronounced in American life. So Lent was known to me though not particularly practiced in the Pentecostal Holiness Church. But two things occurred in the early 1970s that made this season more important to me.

First, I attended a Presbyterian seminary that opened more doors of understanding about many of the practices of the larger Christian community.

Second, through the ministry of the late Rev. Carl Campbell, then pastor of the Ray of Hope IPHC in Richmond, VA, I learned that these practices were not antithetical to our IPHC heritage, especially with our strong roots through John Wesley into the Anglican tradition. In those days, Ray of Hope had a large number of Spirit-baptized attendees from liturgical churches but who longed for the vibrancy and spiritual immediacy of Pentecostalism. Pastor Campbell wisely understood that they also needed connections to their roots and often used the church calendar, including the colors of the church year, in the Sunday services. It had a profound impact on me.

This year for Lent I am focusing my devotional Biblical reading on the three passion prophecies of the Synoptic Gospels (e.g., Mark 8:31-33; 9:30-32; 10:32-34), and the three passages in the Gospel of John where Jesus speaks of Himself as being “lifted up,” an obvious metaphor of His death on the Cross (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32).

In this season I often think of the closing lines from Albert Schweitzer’s The Quest for the Historical Jesus, "He comes to us as one unknown, without a name, as of old by the lakeside, he came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same words, "Follow thou me!", and sets us to the tasks which he has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey him, whether they be wise or simple, he will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in his fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience who he is."

^{Editor's Note: The following piece is submitted by Rev. Kevin Sneed, an IPHC missionary to Kenya.  Kevin's post is the first in a series of guest posts about the Season of Lent.} 

^{“Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging ourwretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – The Book of Common Prayer}

I never knew there was such a thing as Lent or Ash Wednesday until my second year of high school. I attended an IPHC church my whole life with almost perfect attendance in Sunday School but never heard of such things. “What is Lent,” I asked my teacher when she announced that she was giving up coke for the season. The only “lint” I knew of came from the dryer or my pockets.

“It is a preparation period 40 days before Easter,” she explained.

“Why do you need 40 days to prepare for Easter?”

“Because I have to prepare my heart,” she said.

Prepare your heart? What does that mean? I was confused but wanted to understand. She invited me to attend an “Ash Wednesday” service at the large Methodist church in town.I went. The sanctuary was less than half full. The lights were dim and the people were very quiet. The hardwood floor made so much noise as I entered I almost tiptoed to an empty seat. The service was all about sin and the need to ask forgiveness. There was a call to prayer and a call to mourn the death of Jesus who died on behalf of our sins. This was a completely new idea for me, that I could (and should) mourn the death of Jesus. I thought about that intently until the Pastor called everyone to the front for the “imposition of the ashes.” He explained that a Biblical picture of mourning including the covering of one’s self in ashes as an outward sign. I stood in line until my turn came and I walked back to my seat with the shape of the cross formed by ashes on my forehead.

As the service ended I felt hesitant to leave. But I noticed the other people quickly shuffling around and making their way towards the door. They all seemed sleepy or, at least,unimpressed. I remained for a moment to stare at a cross, a symbol of the death and suffering of Jesus and I began to mourn for Him.

I believe that for many people in that church, the Ash Wednesday service and the season of Lent was an old, dry, dead tradition. But to me, who had never heard the liturgy or found the need to mourn for Jesus, it was a moment of profound spiritual significance. I determined that day to give up something for Lent and take time to regularly mourn for Jesus and consider my sinfulness for which Jesus died.

Easter Sunday came and as usual I was in attendance at my IPHC church. Hearing the story of the resurrection of Jesus brought me great joy. He may have died for my sins but He arose again! After spending over 40 days contemplating my sin and Jesus’ death it made Easter much more meaningful. Jesus overcame! Yet as the service concluded I took notice of the congregation. They all seemed sleepy or, at least, unimpressed.They quickly shuffled towards the door and began to travel home for a larger than usual lunch.

At that moment I realized the significance of Lent. Lent is not just a dry, dead tradition that Christians observe 40 days before another old, dry tradition. Lent is the means by which we prepare our hearts to celebrate and receive the good news of Easter. If you do not mourn someone’s death how can we celebrate their resurrection? If you do not contemplate the magnitude or consequences of your sin, why would you rejoice when you hear the news that victory over sin has been won. If you are tired of leaving the church unfulfilled on Easter Sunday, try practicing Lent and prepare your heart for this year’s celebration.

I have now been observing Lent for 12 years. During the season I mourn the death of Jesus and the suffering he had to endure on account of my sin. I remind myself of the reason Christ died, because I was a sinner in need of salvation. I revisit the pit from which Jesus rescued me, not to throw myself back in but to remember my inability to get myself out. I force myself to confront the cross he had to bear and the pain it brought him. (A trip around a “Stations of the Cross” will assist you in this.) I spiritually, and sometimes physically, wear the ashes of sorrow for my savior who died. I pray the 400 year old prayer written above that still rings true for me today. Do not view Lent as a dead tradition. Embrace it as a means of drawing closer to God and I assure you, not only the season but the person of Jesus will come alive within you once more.

“Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.”

Evangelical Left Follows Secular Culture, Endorses "Hate Crimes" Bill

“Increasingly the Evangelical Left is indistinguishable from the secular Left.”
- Mark Tooley, IRD President

Washington, DC—Members of the Evangelical Left are endorsing a bill before Congress that would add sexual orientation and gender identity as official categories to "hate crimes" law.

Liberal evangelist Tony Campolo joined a Capitol Hill rally this week organized by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy group, which also distributed supportive statements by Christian ethicist David Gushee, Sojourners’ Jim Wallis and Florida megachurch pastor Joel Hunter. The rally additionally touted legislation that would protect transsexualism in the work place.

Critics of hate crimes laws warn they are redundant and attempt to criminalize thought and speech. They also warn that clergy and others who support traditional marriage potentially could be prosecuted for "hate."

IRD President Mark Tooley commented:

Why are self-proclaimed evangelicals echoing the secular culture by endorsing ideologies wrapped around 'sexual orientation' and 'sexual identity?'

All victims of violence are already rightly protected by law, no matter the motive of their assailants.

Increasingly the Evangelical Left is indistinguishable from the secular Left.

Christians of all traditions are called to transform the culture, not conform to it. But the Evangelical Left repeats arguments from The New York Times' editorial page and seems to think such cultural conformity will win applause.

History shows that accommodationist Christians are ultimately irrelevant Christians.

 
The Institute on Religion and Democracy
May 11, 2009                                                                     
 

1928 was an amazing year!  Herbert Hoover won the presidency in a landslide.  Cars sold for $498.00.  You could buy a loaf of bread for 9 cents – a gallon of gas for 21 cents – postage stamps cost a penny – rent a house for $12.00 a month and the Pentecostal Holiness Church was organized in Pampa, Texas!

The Pampa P.H. Church celebrated their 80^th anniversary on Nov. 16.  Festivities included a morning celebration with Dr. Terry Tramel of Southwestern Christian University, a noon potluck lunch, and an afternoon celebration featuring photos and mementos of the church’s 80-year history.

The church was organized Nov. 28, 1928 by Rev. John T. Mahoney.  Before his conversion, he was a businessman who supplied tools to local oil fields.  He had a scrappy nature and a tongue as tough as the oil business.  When he found Christ, his life changed so instantly and dramatically that the locals were stunned.  Many came to hear him preach just to see if it was really possible for God to make a saint from such rough material.  After hearing him preach, they were convinced!  The young church flourished because of Mahoney’s testimony.

When the church was founded, there were five charter members.  Although none of the charter members are alive today, Mrs. Bobby (Clarice) Dunn, who was one of the earliest members, is still a part of the congregation.  Mrs. Dunn joined the church as a child.

The church was also the site of the first session of the Panhandle (now known as Great Plains) Conference.

From 1928 through 1965, sixteen different pastors served the congregation. Three of these pastors were women; many were bi-vocational. Rev. Albert and Mary Maggard came to the church in 1966.  They have served the Pampa church and community for more than 42 years, making them the longest serving pastors in the city. 

“Our 42 plus years pastoring at Pampa have been a wonderful experience for us,” said Rev. Maggard.  “It's very rewarding to have our lives so intertwined with the families in the congregation.  God has been good to us and we are still in love with the Pampa church.”

Over the years, the church has changed locations and undertaken several building projects.  Today, however, the building projects are completed, all bills are paid, and the church is debt-free.

The Pampa PH Church is an example of how God can use one man – John T. Mahoney – to influence a community for generations.  Congratulations to the Pampa P.H. Church on 80 wonderful years!

This is the third part of a series on the PEW Forums recent survey Religion In American Life.  Read Part 1 and Part 2.

What's in a Name?

Everything! 

Normally, a name should be a simple, clear, literal device for identifying someone or some place.  About one-fifth of the names in Scripture simply identify persons or places:  “the name of the first river is...,” “a city called Nazareth,”  or “his mother’s name was...,”  etc.  Names soon took on a much more significant importance for the preservation of personal identity in cultural and family memories.  The Scriptures include many long lists of names, more than three thousand people, associated with specific events in the history of Israel.  Isn’t that why we often name our children after a great-grandfather, so that his memory will continue into our present family story?

Scripture adds a divine dimension to names when God says to Moses, “...I know you by name.” Or when it says the good shepherd calls “his own sheep by name.”  For Bezaleel, David, Isaiah, the apostles and even Cyrus, King of Persia, it meant a divine selection for a special task.  In our tradition, we have a sense of “being called by God” into ministry.  Jesus reminds us that our “names ...are written in heaven.”   The book of Revelation often refers to those “whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world” as a means of separating true worshippers from false ones.

Names have taken on etymological meanings that say so much more than just the name.  For example, we all know the meaning of the names Babel, Babylon, Jerusalem, Bethel and Eden.  In Genesis and Exodus alone there are more than thirty accounts of parents creating a name to fit the circumstances of birth.  Benjamin means “son of suffering,” Samuel means “heard by God,” Ichabod means “no glory,” Noah means “relief,” and Joseph means “may God add.”  Many parents today scour through books of names to find just the right name with the right meaning for their newborn child.  According to my family folklore, I was named for a radio comedian that was popular at the time of my birth.  Those who know me understand what an oxymoron that turned out to be, for I am neither a comedian nor a crowd pleaser.  But in my late teens, as an avid student of the Scriptures, I discovered the Hebrew meaning of my name and my self-perception changed forever.

Ideally, a name should capture the essence of the person.  But how hard is it to know which name will best suit the personality of a child not yet grown?  Only the Creator has such discernment and the Scriptures once again reveal the truth (See Ps 147.4; Is 40.26).  Often, names were changed later in life to reflect a significant change in attitude or lifestyle.  How many can remember the days of Cassius Clay or Lou Alcindor?  In many cultures still today, it is common practice to take a biblical name over a given name to symbolize the significance of the salvation experience.

Abram and Sarai had their names changed by God; Moses changed the name of Hosea, son of Nun, to Joshua; Jacob, Gideon and Solomon are given supplementary names of Israel, Jerubbaal and Jedidiah, nicknames, if you will.  In the New Testament, the practice continued:  Simon to Cephas or Peter; the Cypriot Joseph to Barnabas and Judas to Thomas.  Others were given Hellenized equivalents of traditional Hebrew names, like James for Jacob, Jesus for Joshua, and John Mark had both Semitic and Roman names.  This may be a revelation (literally) for many people, but  according to Rev 2.17, those who overcome will be given a new, secret name written on a white stone!  It seems that there is yet another life-changing experience in our future so dramatic that God is compelled to change our names!

What’s in a name?  Everything.  How we know others, how we are known and how we view ourselves are rooted in our names.  Our name is also important in our relationship with the Lord.  He knows us by name!

In the next segment, we'll take a look at how the names "Christian" and "Evangelical" are taking on meanings never intended.