Do You Remember When?

Have you ever been involved in a conversation when someone asked you the question, "Do you remember when?" They had been describing an event or even maybe a set of circumstances and they wanted to see if you could remember that same event or that same set of circumstances. Those words came into my prayer time this morning as I reflected on the meaning of Ash Wednesday. I realize that Ash Wednesday has different connotations depending on your church background. Through the years of ministry I have learned to understand the concept of "Lent" as I became better acquainted with the need to "reacquaint" myself with the Suffering Savior as well as the Resurrected Savior. It may be possible that some of us moved so quickly into the time of the celebration of the Resurrection that we failed to reflect on the journey that took Christ to the cross. A few years ago, The Passion of Christ, reminded us of the reality of the true sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf. There is an element of Christianity that has tried to remove the brutality and gruesomeness of the road to Golgotha. But we must remember that the purchase of our Salvation included the road of suffering and shame that Christ traveled in advance of His death, burial, and resurrection. The next 40 days should serve as a "Do You Remember When" in our spiritual life! We should pause and remind ourselves that the purchase of our salvation was not cheap nor was it an easy transaction. Christ suffered and died that we might enjoy the fruit of a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

 

Let me remind you of the first verse of the hymn, The Old Rugged Cross.

 

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross

The emblem of suffering and shame

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain."