MountainVicar

by MountainVicar Mar 1, 2026

Born From Above: The Night Conversation We All Need (John 3:1-16)

In this Second Sunday of Lent sermon, we follow Nicodemus—a powerful, educated religious leader—as he slips into the night to seek out Jesus. What he encounters shatters every assumption about how we earn our way to God. Through John 3:1–16, Romans 4, and Psalm 33, one truth emerges with striking clarity: no amount of religion, intellect, or moral achievement can produce what only God can give—a life born from above. Just as Abraham was justified by faith, not performance, we are invited to stop striving and start trusting. And at the center of it all stands the cross—the ultimate "lifting up"—where the remedy for our broken condition was made available to whoever believes.

by MountainVicar Feb 17, 2026 · Edited

More Than Pancakes and Parades: The Meaning of Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, is far more than an excuse for pancakes or parades. Its name comes from the practice of "shriving" — confessing sins and receiving absolution — reflecting the day's true purpose: spiritual preparation for the Lenten journey ahead. The tradition of feasting on rich foods before the fast is not mere indulgence, but a meaningful threshold moment, a conscious farewell to abundance before embracing simplicity and self-denial. In this way, Shrove Tuesday embodies one of Christianity's core rhythms — that joy and austerity, feasting and fasting, are not opposites but companions, each giving the other deeper meaning.

by MountainVicar Feb 18, 2026 · Edited

From Dust to Resurrection: The Meaning of Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a 40-day season of repentance, fasting, and prayer leading up to Easter. Drawing on the Old Testament tradition of ashes as a symbol of sorrow and mortality, Christians are marked with a cross of ashes as a reminder of human sinfulness and the judgment of death, while also pointing to the hope of new life found in Jesus Christ. The ashes themselves are typically made from palms burned from the previous year's Palm Sunday. Though some might question whether the public display of ashes contradicts Jesus' warnings against showy religiosity in Matthew 6, the gesture is meant to be a humble sign of repentance and an invitation for others to reflect on their own spiritual lives — a meaningful public witness when done with sincerity.

by MountainVicar Feb 18, 2026 · Edited

Hearts Laid Bare: Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-22)

On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, we gather around Matthew 6 and Psalm 103 to ask a question that cuts to the heart of every spiritual discipline: why do we do what we do? Jesus warns against practicing our righteousness to be seen by others—whether in giving, praying, or fasting—because those who perform for human applause have already received their reward in full. Even the imposition of ashes, visible as it is, stands apart from that kind of hypocrisy: it is not a badge of superior devotion but a corporate confession of our shared fragility and need. We are dust. And yet, as Psalm 103 reminds us, God knows our frame, remembers our weakness, and meets us not with condemnation but with steadfast love. This Lent, we are invited to audit our hearts—to give secretly, to pray privately, to fast quietly—not to earn God's favor, but to lay down our pretenses and receive what we could never manufacture: the righteousness of Christ, given freely in the great exchange.

by MountainVicar Feb 18, 2026 · Edited

The Season of Lent: An Anglican Perspective

Lent isn't just a season of giving things up — it's an invitation into something ancient, costly, and ultimately joyful. This piece traces the spiritual logic of these forty days from the earliest Christians through to the Prayer Book we use today, and asks what it might mean for us to take that invitation seriously. If Easter is the destination, Lent is how we learn to want it.

by MountainVicar Feb 22, 2026 · Edited

Tested and True (Matthew 4:1-11)

On this First Sunday of Lent we journey with Jesus into the wilderness, where the Holy Spirit leads Him to face forty days of fasting and fierce temptation by the devil. Through three powerful encounters—turning stones to bread, leaping from the temple pinnacle, and bowing for worldly kingdoms—Jesus triumphs where Adam failed, relying solely on the Word of God to resist every attack. This passage reveals the reality of spiritual battle, the danger of shortcuts, and the victory secured by the obedient Second Adam. As we enter our own Lenten wilderness of prayer, fasting, and repentance, Christ's faithfulness assures us that God's mercy meets us in our weakness, leading us ultimately toward the cross and the empty tomb.