February 8

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Introduction to the 2016 Lent Project

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Welcome to the 2016 Lent Project. Our theme for this season is The Kingdom of Heaven, The Kingdom of God. The good news of the kingdom was the central message of Christ’s teaching ministry as well as “the foundational message of the church.” The Old Testament abounds with passages that reference God’s kingdom. Christians believe this kingdom was established at creation, compromised by the fall, but fulfilled in Jesus Christ when he defeated Satan, death and sin at the cross and empty tomb. To Christians in this present age, the Kingdom of God is Christ’s rule and reign in individual lives and in the life of the church. All those who honor the Lord of the Universe and Hope of the World are called to live abundantly through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

For centuries the Children of Israel looked for a messiah who would overthrow enemies and usher in a kingdom of peace. We understand now that the complete and perfect manifestation of God’s kingdom will only happen following the second coming of Christ when the righteous from all ages join with the heavenly hosts to offer unending praise and worship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a new heaven and new earth.

The kingdom Christ established while on earth was shocking to the people of his day and I would daresay his teachings continue to jolt us in the same sorts of ways today. Some have come to refer to Christ’s dominion as an “upside-down kingdom” because the way our Lord operated was often countercultural. For example, in Christ’s kingdom strength was hinged to powerlessness and greatness bound to lowly servanthood. A plethora of contrasting ideas and images like these provide us with rich material to imaginatively encounter the living Christ and his kingdom in the weeks to come.

Again, we are most grateful to the illustrators, artisans, fine artists, videographers, poets, authors, composers and musicians who have contributed to this project. The diversity of styles, cultures, and denominations represented creates a full-bodied meditation on the marvelous things that God has done and is doing in the hearts and lives of those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” and seek him above all else. As we focus on the Kingdom of Heaven the words of Keith and Kristyn Getty’s powerful hymn offers a warm invitation to join fellow pilgrims around the world as together we begin our Lenten journey:

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To be children of light.
With the mercy of heaven,
The humility of Christ,
Walking justly before Him,
Loving all that is right,
That the life of Christ may shine through us.