Reify - to make real, to bring into being, to make concrete.

Reification is what Lent is all about, making real our dedication to our suffering, dying--and risen--Lord Jesus, making it concrete. Lent is about focusing our hearts and minds, living our repentance in the forty days leading up to Good Friday and Easter. It is about disciplining and discipling our heart, soul, mind and strength to love God above all and our neighbor as ourself. These two duties, said Jesus, are the most important of all.

It is traditional to read devotional books during Lent, thought-provoking stuff that will help our focus and keep us on track. As a congregation this year we are reading '40 Days Living the Jesus Creed' by Scot McKnight.

McKnight challenges us to do what God commanded Moses and the Israelites to do, that is, to recite the 'shema', as it is called, the ancient creed of Israel, daily--at rising in the morning, before retiring at night, and as often as we think of it during the day--and to do so using Jesus' words, the Jesus Creed, reminding ourselves each day that our primary relationship to God is love, and that he calls us to reflect his love to those he brings our way.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31 NIV)

Let's make it real, together.