Seeking to Practice the Repentance of Lent, and to Live the Love of Jesus!

Tuesday evening, March 25, as my wife Kathy and I were eating supper, we discussed my day at work. Among other things, I visited 9 people in their home or at the hospital. Pastor Chris Kollman and I visited 5 people at one time at Oak Hammock. Then I visited Larry and Gayle Davis in their home, and Guillermo and Barbara Luna-Victoria in the hospital. For various reasons of health or age, these folks have challenges in getting out. A home visit is an easy and effective way to bring the love of Jesus to those who have trouble making it to church at times.

Kathy and I then recounted home visits each of us had made over the last 46 years. Kathy served as a visiting nurse in St. Louis in the early 80’s, and again as a hospice nurse in Alaska in the late 90’s. She remembers many people and homes she visited, and their unique personalities. I have made visits on church members and friend now in many congregations. Kathy and I shared memories with one another of those visits.

Then, as we talked, Kathy and I also commented on some special visits. I used to bring my children and later my grandchildren with me when I visited people in their homes. I remember Minnie Rose. She was in the nursing care unit of a Lutheran nursing home, “Altenheim,” in St. Louis. When I began visiting Minnie, she said little or nothing because of dementia. But after our son, Joshua, was born, I brought him with me on many of my visits. As soon as she saw my infant son in arms, Minne spoke! “What is his name? How old is he? Is he your first child?” It is amazing how people respond to some caring attention, perhaps especially from children.

I also used to take Josh with me when I conducted worship services at the Tower Hill Nursing home in North St. Louis. One day I arrived to lead worship without my son. Some of the residents suggested I not return again without him. The folks in this home considered it a gift to have an infant child come to visit them.

In Alaska, I once took grandchildren Jacob and Emmalee with me one day as I visited 10 separate individuals. One elderly lady, named Diane, was lonely. She was not officially a member of St. John. Diane was a friend of a friend of the congregation. But she had asked me to spend time with her as I visited the other lady, so I did. On this particular visit, after I had read and prayed with Diane, and had served her communion, Jacob and Emma hugged her as we were about to leave. I remember a tear in Diane’s eye. It is amazing how a little caring attention for a lonely person makes such a difference!

This week in worship we will consider two separate calls from God to love others. In Wednesday Lenten worship we hear God’s call to turn from selfishly serving only ourselves toward loving and serving others. In some ways that sounds very simple. But, in other ways, caring for others really is not very simple. Consider Jesus.

Then, in Sunday worship, we will again listen to Jesus’ wonderful parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus is calling the Pharisees and scribes to turn from pride and self-righteousness so that they instead care for the “tax collectors and sinners.” As before, this sounds simple. But, in other ways, caring for others really is not easy. Again, consider what it cost Jesus to love us!

Did you ever think that loving others takes an attitude of humble repentance? Repentance is a turning away from sin, and turning toward our Lord and His will. It is natural to care for ourselves, to serve ourselves. Love and care for another requires us to turn away from our natural selfishness, and toward the needs of another. When we love others, we live the Lenten call to repent.

During Lent we especially focus on the care and the love which Jesus gives in His suffering and death. God teaches that Jesus’ sacrificial death and his love are His gift to us, so that we can love and care for others. “10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11) Jesus loves and cares for us so that we can love and care for others. Because Lent shows Jesus’s love for us, Lent also calls us to care and to love others.

As I visited people on Tuesday, everyone thanked me for visiting. In all honesty, I am thankful for the privilege of bringing the love of Jesus to His children, of whatever age. It is an honor to be in the homes of the saints of our Lord!

Do you know anyone who is lonely? Do you know anyone who feels rejected? Do you know anyone whose sins and failures make them feel unlovable? Do you know anyone for whom a simple word of encouragement would make all the difference? When we love others, we really practice the repentance of Lent, and we live in the love of Jesus!