This Sunday is the First Sunday IN Lent. At Covenant, we call it “Purple Sunday” as the liturgical color becomes Purple. We also invite folks attending worship with us to wear purple.
Mark 15:17-18 “And they clothed Him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him. And they began to salute Him, ‘Hail King of the Jews!” Their actions were to mock Jesus, which is why they use a purple cloak, a color for royalty.
Over the years, the church has used purple during Lent to express the feeling of being repentant for sins we have committed. However, our Lenten Journey is also intended to be a time of reflection, seeking to deepen our relationship with God. Seeking forgiveness for those things we have done that has made us feel separated from God, others and even the best in ourselves is on the first step. We need to also reclaim the royalty the color purple portrays us to be … children of the Sovereign God!
King David discovered this in Psalm 32, during a time of spiritual reflection in his relationship with God and wrote these words: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! … For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” These are the words of one who has discovered the guide to spiritual wholeness.
Join us for worship at Covenant this Purple Sunday and if you can wear something Purple. My sermon is “A Lenten Guide to Spiritual Wholeness” based on Psalm 32 and Matthew 4:1-11.
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