Happy Lent!

Someone wished me a 'Happy Lent' this morning.  That gave me pause. Lent isn't a time of joy.  It's always had a reputation for being somber.  As I stood in front of the church this morning ready to dispense ashes it was 2 degrees.  I certainly didn't feel happy.

But is this really an inappropriate wish?  Is it out of order? Nope.

Yes, this is a time to repent, a time to perhaps give something up so we might focus on clearing the decks.  But the outcome, the goal is that we get right with God and God's people.  And that, I think, is something worth celebrating.  It's a cause to be ... happy.

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