Lent Day 2, Thursday, March 3, 2022

“Read the Bible for Extra-Credit!”

We’re off and running!  Just forty-five days until Easter!  In reality, most people haven’t started their Lenten promises.  Few folks attend weekday services (like Ash Wednesday) and events in churches, so, for most church-goers, the first Sunday in Lent becomes their first opportunity to begin. Why do we care?  Because we’re getting “Extra-Credit” for starting before everyone else.

Does that strike a school memory from long ago?  Extra-Credit was optional: if we didn’t want to do it, we didn’t have to do it.  The first time I heard a teacher offering Extra-Credit, I laughed.  “Haha!” I thought.  “You ain’t gonna’ trick me and make me do extra work.  I don’t need no Extra-Credit.”

Oh, how wrong I was.  As soon as I began to miss a few points on assignments and tests, I whined to the teacher to allow me to go back and complete the Extra-Credit.  The teacher would have every right to return to me in my own words, “Haha, I thought you didn’t need Extra-Credit!”

During these first few days of the Lenten Season, we have the opportunity to earn some Extra-Credit by starting our Lenten commitments now, reinforcing us with a few extra days of commitment.  It might seem like extra work, but these few days can make all the difference in helping us to realize a Holy and Blessed Lenten Season!

Complete an easy Extra-Credit assignment and read the Bible for five minutes today!

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)