I came to seminary in Columbia, SC nearly forty-one years of age. For the first time, I saw a Lutheran Church named Christus Victor – “Jesus, Victorious Champion.” “How neat is that!”, I thought. It comes from atonement theology, and it depicts Jesus as a warrior. He defeated our mortal enemies of sin and death. Fast-forward here to Joy in Ocala, where one set of paraments and a pastor’s stole bear the image of the lamb with the banner of the cross. Victorious resurrection. We are liberated from death, Satan, and sin. Released, ransomed, redeemed from slavery. “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died” (I Cor. 15;20).

“Okay, Pastor, haven’t you gotten a little ahead of things here? After all, Lent is barely underway!” I think knowing and believing in the end game helps us through the valleys of self-examination. I remind you also that every Sunday, even in Lent, is a “little Easter”. The foretaste of the feast to come. We proclaim the whole Passion story, the tragic and the joyous. All because of grace and the forgiveness of sins. We share the victorious power of Christ crucified, died, and arisen. Our human predicament, as described by St. Augustine is self, curved in upon itself. Martin Luther, following as an Augustinian monk, amplified it in his own inimitable style by calling it “navel gazing”. We are born selfish, and it is running even more rampant in this post-modern age of individualism. God gets around this dilemma on our behalf by placing the Holy Spirit’s power within our souls. The Holy Spirit “fruits” us with faith, hope, and love. We are already made victorious, even as we bear our burdens of sinfulness. The end game is assured, even in our Lenten wilderness. Our giving of thanks for this victorious sacrifice is to live changed, transformed lives. We are called also to be co-liberators, workers in the kingdom of God for the poor and oppressed seeking justice. We are mindful in this season of Lent that God’s love is all-inclusive and unconditional.

Pastor Art