Lenten Sacrifice

As I am a follower of Jesus' Way, one who values the message of the Cross especially, and one who relies fully on the redemption message of Grace and Agape Love...

I suggest to all who claim Jesus' name that THIS LENT... on our way to the Cross...

we sacrifice our attitudes that keep Jesus on the Cross,
that we sacrifice those baser, darker corners of our spirit that relegate us to being part of the mob,
that we sacrifice those ideologies that preclude Agape Love,
that we sacrifice those philosophies that put us at enmity with those whom Jesus loves,
that we sacrifice those behaviors that come from "us" vs. "them" thinking,
that we sacrifice those instincts to judge others who are different,
that we sacrifice those bitterest feelings that keep us from forgiving,
that we sacrifice those most gut-wrenching, vengeful emotions that would bring us to violent
    words or actions or both,
that we sacrifice those personal guiles that would keep us from being Gracious,
that we sacrifice those norms that keep us locked into selfishness, greed and ruthlessness,
that we sacrifice those classist outlooks which are born of our sense of entitlement and that
    give us disdain for or license to exploit those poor who Jesus loves,
that we sacrifice those arrogant, self-serving, destructive leanings toward destruction of the
    creation we are charged stewardship over for some short term and personal profit or
    convenience,
that we sacrifice those racist residues that persist in how we view sisters and brothers that
    allow us somehow to see ourselves as "superior",
that we sacrifice those urges to find reasons in scripture to point fingers of self-righteous and
    arrogant disgust at our LGBT sisters and brothers,
that we sacrifice those temptations to engage in self-indulgence at the expense of anyone else,
that we sacrifice those stirrings within that would drive us to unfaithfulness to God, to
    spouse, to children, to humanity,
that we sacrifice ALL that is Anti-Christ, ALL that is Anti-Agape, ALL that is Anti-Grace...

THIS LENT... on our way to the Cross...

Let us unburden ourselves of these things,
sacrifice them at the Altar of Agape Love, Grace, Equality, Equity, Freedom, Justice and Peace,
out of devotion to the one whose going to the Cross means those very things to us...

Pastor Jamie