Return to the Lord!

On the Wednesday of Cheese Fare, the week before the Great Fast, the character of the day is Lenten. Although we have not yet begun the Great Fast, we are fasting from meat today as we turn our attention more and more on God. The daily services today (and Friday this week) are Lenten. We make our prostrations and read from the Old Testament. I love how the Church draws our attention.

“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”  Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.  Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people.  Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants.  Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare thy people, O Lord, and make not thy heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations.  Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?'” Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.  The Lord answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. “I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his front into the eastern sea, and his rear into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!  Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O sons of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.  I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.  And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

Joel 2:12-26

The message is clear today. The Prophet Joel calls us to return to God with fasting and weeping and mourning. The Great Fast is just days away, and unless we choose to return to God, we will lose the opportunity afforded to us. If we just look at the Great Fast as a physical cleanse from fatty foods, we will lose the blessing that comes with the Great Fast.

The past few weeks have been calling to our soul. Our minds are made up. Either we will make the journey back to God, or we will continue in our sin. That was the message of the Prodigal Son. The Father is waiting for us to turn our attention toward Him. He will complete the journey for us. He is waiting to embrace us and restore us. But WE must make the first move.

Today the Church sounds the trumpet. THE TIME HAS COME TO RETURN TO GOD! Come and fast. Come and worship Him. Come and seek His forgiveness. Come and forgive others. Come and love as He loves. All the messages of the past three weeks have prepared us for what comes.

The Great Fast will take ‘everything we’ve got’ to get through unscathed. When we are hungry, we will hunger for God. When we are tired, we will ask for God’s rest. When we are angry and frustrated, we will ask for God’s mercy to come live in our hearts.

But…..that all doesn’t start for a few more days. Today is just a glimpse of what is coming. Don’t neglect the chance to be ready for Clean Monday next week. For today, make your plan for the Great Fast. Check your grocery list, and shop for fasting foods. Check your calendar and make time for extra Church services. Most importantly, check you heart and choose to make the journey.