Because yesterday was Grandparents Day at Christ Community Lutheran School, Diane and I had the pleasure of visiting Christian and Connor’s classrooms. Mrs. Belsha had Connor’s kindergarten class sing two songs for us and then she proposed a third. I can’t remember the title but when she said it, the children went into wide-eyed amazement. One child blurted out, “You just said the A word!”
The “A word” is “Alleluia,” which the children obviously learned is not to be used in Lent. The adults all laughed. Mrs. Belsha told them it would be OK to sing the alleluia song for the grandparents. She seized a teachable moment; we should not be legalistic about worship styles. Legalism is a great temptation in Lent. Do this; don’t do that, and then imagine you’ve satisfied all righteousness. But Lent rightly done blows away shallow legalisms. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) So whenever we hear again the answer, Jesus, Jesus bringing us an incomprehensible love, why not perk up Lent with the A word? “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.” (Matthew 6:16)
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