"Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast ..." (Joel 2:15)

As they do on Easter morning to announce the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a few trumpets blow at the beginning of Lent to call the people of God together for the annual forty-day fast. Lent is that peculiar period of the year when those who are most dedicated to the faith observe the rigors - public and private - associated with this sacred season that is connected to Good Friday and Easter, the very heart of the gospel and our salvation. But the trumpets sound, whether or not we hear them, and they call us to life in the Kingdom of God.

In their book, Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach (Adding years to your life and life to your years), Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw quote, as their first word (between the dedication…