Starting from March 5, World Olivet Assembly member churches around the world embarked on the season of Lent, a forty-day spiritual journey calling believers to repentance, self-examination, and a deeper meditation on the path of the cross. This is not only a time of fasting and prayer but a crucial period for renewing one's faith, aligning hearts with the suffering of Christ, and participating in His work. Through this season, churches are reminded that the Christian life is not one of passive reflection but of active obedience and participation in Christ's mission on earth.
The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's love and grace, calling every believer to take up their own cross daily and follow Christ. Lent is a season to fix one's eyes on the sacrifice of the Lord, reflecting on His suffering and surrendering oneself completely to the will of God. However, such reflection should not remain an internal contemplation alone. It must move the believer to action-to partake in the very path that Christ walked, to shepherd the lost, and to bring the light of the gospel to the unreached.
From Ash Wednesday until Easter, churches worldwide engage in devotion, prayer, and fasting, not only as a personal discipline but as a preparation for mission. Just as Jesus bore the weight of the cross for the salvation of mankind, so too are believers called to bear the burdens of others, interceding for the lost and reaching out to those in spiritual darkness. True faith does not end in silent meditation but manifests in works that glorify God. In this season, Christians are called to step beyond their comfort, to embrace the heart of Christ, and to shepherd His lambs with love and perseverance.
The message of the cross is not only one of suffering but of victory. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, proving that suffering is not the end but the pathway to eternal glory. Just as Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him, believers, too, must walk in the hope of resurrection as they engage in the work of the gospel. Through suffering and trials, through perseverance and faithfulness, the power of the resurrection is made evident in their lives. It is in losing oneself for the sake of the gospel that true life is found.
In this season of Lent, churches are urged to lead their members beyond personal devotion into the active participation of Christ's calling. Lent is not merely a tradition but a time of transformation, a season of refining one's faith and stepping forward in obedience to the Great Commission. Every believer is called to shepherd the flock, to reach the unreached, and to proclaim the victory of the cross to the ends of the earth. May this time of Lent be a period of renewal, where believers do not only reflect on the path of the cross but actively walk it, carrying forth the mission of Christ with unwavering faith and devotion.