2008-02-23 - Lenten and Easter Traditions

Installment 2 ~ Colors

In the church, color is often meaningful - whether it's white, gold, red, green or purple. Each year during Lent, choir members, pastors, communion tables and crosses are draped in purple.Purple represents royalty, and our Lord Christ is the royalty to whom we owe fealty.

Unlike some Earthly Kings, Christ didn't flaunt His royalty, but He didn't deny it ,either (See Matthew 27). But Christ wasn't the King for whom many were hoping. He wasn't and isn't a political leader who will tell people what they want to hear, to win elections. Nor can he be bribed; lobbyists will never persuade him to change his vote.

Rather, his style of royal leadership is counterintuitive; he leads as a servant. His leadership style turns things upside down. Last comes before first. (Luke 22:25-27).

Christ isn't the only royalty in the church. Every believer in Christ is a member of the Royal Family. As 1 Peter 2:5 reminds us, we are all "royal priests." If people look at your life - your leisure activities, your attitudes toward those who are mocked, your work ethic, your checkbook - would they know that you are a child of the King?

Jan

cfdevjan@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org