Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/84

Contributor - Mrs. Jean Hartmans

Title - Roots and Wings

Topic - Lent

During the Lenten Season, we remember that our faith gives us both roots and wings.

From prison, Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus the following words:

"I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself." Ephesians 3:17-19

This beautiful passage of Scripture was written when Paul had time to meditate and to think on his relationship with Christ. He is especially concerned that the roots of the people are deep in God's love.

It has been said that roots and wings are two of the most important gifts which we can give to our children. Giving them roots means that we nurture them and help them to develop a sense of trust in their parents. As the seasons of time pass, a child, rooted in the love of home, family and church, will eventually begin the journey of life outside of his home and will try his own wings in the world, aiming toward the adult years and responsibilities of his own.

The history of the Christian Church has been rooted in Christ's birth, and in his death and resurrection. Generations upon generations of Christians have placed their roots in Him and have let their God given faith take wings in service to Him. No one generation has seen all of the truth, and history has shown that faith has taken wing in many directions, from early Church's focus on the communal life of Christians, to the form and ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, to the turnabout of the Reformation where the personal and individual independence of Christians took root. Today we are experiencing the yeasty influence of the charismatic movement within all denominations of the Church.

The period of Lent in the Christian Church year is placed there so that Christians can concentrate during a period of time before Good Friday and Easter on the meaning of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and on the meaning of His resurrection, which are the roots of our faith.

During this Lenten season of 1984, we have an opportunity within our families for renewal, for a period of spiritual growth. It is especially meaningful for those families whose children are studying the Bible with the intention of making public confession of their faith in Jesus Christ. Their roots are planted in the tradition of the Church and at the same time, they will be declaring that Christ's love will lead them in a spiritual adventure.

Paul says that we will never fully comprehend God's love because of our limited spiritual capacity, but we make progress toward that goal. The understanding which our children receive may manifest itself differently from our own understanding of God's love.

The Lenten season should be a time especially set aside for us and our families to trust in the Lord that our faith will take wing and soar to even greater heights of service and joy.

Isaiah speaks of this when he says:

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.