Podcast Summary: "Mardi Gras Is Cancelled"

The Wake-Up Call — Host: Andrew Forrest (Seedbed)
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Wake-Up Call, guest host Andrew Forrest shares his reflections on Mardi Gras, Lent, forgiveness, and the profound inclusiveness found in the book of Leviticus. It’s a transitional episode, marking Andrew's final day as guest host, and sets the stage for the Lenten season with both encouragement and thoughtful questions for reflection. The episode weaves together themes of reconciliation, access to grace, and the real meaning behind religious traditions like Mardi Gras and Lent.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Updates and Farewell

Andrew introduces himself and thanks the community—this is his last fill-in day for J.D. Walt.
He plugs his book Love Goes First and announces a live video course happening in March through Seedbed.
- Quote [00:38]:
  
  “It’s running on Mondays in March, Monday the 9th, the 16th and the 23rd, with a bonus on the 30th from 6:30 to 8:00 Central Time … I hope you’ll be a part of it.”

2. Ash Wednesday and the Meaning of Lent

Andrew expresses anticipation for Ash Wednesday and emphasizes its importance for all Christians, not just Catholics or Orthodox.
- Quote [02:22]:
  
  “Ash Wednesday might be strange for you, but it’s not a Roman Catholic thing, it’s not an Eastern Orthodox thing, it’s a Christian thing. And it’s about preparing for Easter and reminding ourselves that before there’s the cross for the crown, there’s first the cross.”

3. Scripture Reflection—Leviticus 5:7-10

Andrew reads from Leviticus and reflects on its significance:
- Leviticus provides a path for all—even the poor—to receive forgiveness.
- The passage describes how, if someone can’t afford a lamb, two birds will suffice for sacrifice and forgiveness.
Central Insight: God’s heart is for everyone to have a way to forgiveness, revealing a radical inclusiveness.

4. Mardi Gras, Lent, and the Nature of Forgiveness

Forrest connects Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) and Lent, highlighting their spiritual sequence and meaning:
- Mardi Gras marks indulgence before the season of self-reflection and repentance.
- Without Lent (and Good Friday), there’s no Easter or reconciliation.
- The tragedy of a world without forgiveness is likened to “hell, literally.”
  - Quote [06:35]:
    
    “What if you could never, ever be reconciled to someone? … You know what that life would be like? It would be hell, literally.”
Mardi Gras’ value is not in the revelry, but in the reminder that forgiveness and Easter are real and essential.

5. Inclusivity in Leviticus & the Heart of God

Emphasis on Leviticus’ provision for the poor is used to underscore God's desire for universal access to forgiveness.
- Quote [08:01]:
  
  “Leviticus shows us the heart of the Lord. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to be forgiven and thereby receive eternal life.”

6. Application—Reflection Questions

Andrew offers three journal prompts for listeners:
- What does it say about the Lord that He makes provision for the poor in Leviticus?
- Have you ever been reconciled with someone after a falling out?
- Have you ever been unable to reconcile?
These prompts tie the episode's themes back to personal experience and practical faith.

7. Closing Hymn & Blessing

Andrew leads the community in “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (Charles Wesley), emphasizing the joy and freedom found in forgiveness.
- Notable Lyric [10:42]:
  
  “He breaks the power of cancelled sin, he sets the prisoner free; his blood can make the foulest clean, his blood availed for me.”
He ends with a warm invitation to visit his church, a blessing for Lent and Easter, and his final sign-off as guest host.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Lent and Forgiveness [02:32]:

“It’s about preparing for Easter and reminding ourselves that before there’s the cross for the crown, there’s first the cross.”
On the Tragedy of Unforgiveness [06:35]:

“What if you could never come back close to someone with whom there’d been a betrayal or a loss of trust? … You know what that life would be like? It would be hell, literally.”
On the Inclusiveness of God’s Forgiveness [08:01]:

“How beautiful is that? Leviticus shows us the heart of the Lord. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to be forgiven and thereby receive eternal life.”
Closing Blessing [11:14]:

“May God bless you. I hope you have a really great Lent, because I hope this Easter is the sweetest and best we have ever celebrated.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:03 – Introduction, farewell announcement, info on "Love Goes First" book/course
02:00 – Reflections on Ash Wednesday and Lent
03:21 – Candle-lighting and opening prayer
03:57 – Scripture Reading: Leviticus 5:7-10
05:27 – Reflection on Leviticus, forgiveness, and the meaning of Mardi Gras
08:01 – God’s inclusiveness in Leviticus
09:08 – Journal prompts for reflection
10:00 – Hymn: “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
11:14 – Closing blessing and sign-off

Episode Tone and Style

Andrew Forrest’s tone throughout is warm, personal, reflective, and accessible. He invites listeners to self-examination, provides theological reflection in down-to-earth language, and closes with sincere pastoral care and gratitude for the Wake-Up Call community.

For full engagement, listeners are invited to reflect on the journal prompts and to join Andrew’s upcoming course, as well as to enter the Lenten season with renewed focus on grace, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

Transcript

A (0:03)

Well, good morning Sower Nation. It's Tuesday, February 17th in the year of our Lord 2026. I am Andrew Forrest and this is your wake up call. Well, good morning everybody and happy Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday, it's today. Lent starts tomorrow. Ash Wednesday. Today's actually my last day here on the wake up call. I've been filling in for J.D. walt for the last couple of weeks. I've been pleased to do it, but I'm my full time gig. I'm the senior pastor at Asbury Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'm also an author of a Seedbed Zondervan book called Love Goes First. The book is about what are we going to actually do to reach people who don't already agree with us or think like us, who are not on the same page as us, who maybe even hate us. And here's what's really fun. Seedbed has asked me to do a video course on the book, like diving into it and it's going to be ready for this live, live, live, live, live, live. Which is so much more fun. You get kind of like the thrill of live interaction. There'll be questions, folks will submit during the event, that kind of thing. It's running on Mondays in March, Monday the 9th, the 16th and the 23rd, with a bonus on the 30th from 6:30 to 8:00 Central Time. And you can sign up and register if you go to seedbed.com the seedbed website, and just type in in the search bar. Love goes first. Love. My book will come up and then the video course will also be there. You can't miss it. I'm really looking forward to this. I got the practice of doing all that kind of live stuff during the pandemic and I love live stuff. In the very earliest days we'd preach live. You know, you'd use the online forms and people would write in and you'd comment and oh, it was awesome. So I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you'll be a part of it. And I just wanted to say thank you all for welcoming me and having me on here during these wake up calls these last two and a half weeks. It's been really fun for me to kind of get to know folks through here and try this different medium out. I'm learning, you know, how to do this a little bit better each day and make it smoother and not seem as like awkward and robotic and that kind of thing. So I'm looking forward to it and I'm Looking forward to tomorrow. Ash Wednesday. As a pastor, it's one of my favorite days of the year. Ash Wednesday might be strange for you, but it's not a Roman Catholic thing, it's not an Eastern Orthodox thing, it's a Christian thing. And it's about preparing for Easter and reminding ourselves that before there's the cross for the crown, there's first the cross. And we'll talk about a little bit of that today. All this to say, let's begin. And I'd like to begin, if I can, by lighting my candle this morning. All right, here we go. Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. Praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our scripture reading for the day is Leviticus, chapter 5, verses 7 through 10. Hear now the word of the Lord. But if he cannot afford a lamb, that he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely. And he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven the word of the Lord. What if Mardi Gras were canceled? What if there were no Mardi Gras ever? Well, today is my last day with you here on the wake up call. As I mentioned, I've been filling in for J.D. walt these past two and a half weeks. It's been fun to be with you and get to know this community. It's been fun to kind of have the discipline of doing things every day. See, we looked at the second half of Exodus together, which is about how God wants to take Egypt out of the people. He's taken them out of Egypt and then it's getting Egypt out of the people. And then starting yesterday, we started looking at Leviticus together. At my church, we are reading through the Bible together this year. And we're going to be pressing on through Leviticus and beyond. And it's been fun to be here with you these last couple of weeks. As I mentioned yesterday, Leviticus, though often made fun of, ought to be beloved by us, because the entire point of the book is to teach people what it takes to have eternal life. The problem that Leviticus is solving is an important one. It's how sinful, rebellious people can be reconciled back to God. The reason that matters is because if there is no way to be forgiven, then there is no hope. If you can ever be forgiven, you are always locked in death forever. Which brings me to Mardi Gras. So tomorrow, Zach, Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40 day period, not including Sundays, that leads up to Easter. And it's meant to teach us that to get to Easter, you have to go through Good Friday for the resurrection. There's a crucifixion, there is life, but it comes through the death of the Son of God. Well, the day before Ash Wednesday is Fat Tuesday, or in old French, Mardi Gras. It is a reminder to folks that Lent is coming. If there were no Mardi Gras, then there would be no Lent, no Good Friday, no Easter. And this would mean that there'd be no way to be forgiven. Okay, what if you could never, ever be reconciled to someone? Someone who had hurt you or someone you had hurt? What if you could never, ever be forgiven? What if you could never get close to someone after saying an unkind word? What if you could never come back close to someone with whom there'd been a betrayal or a loss of trust? You know what that life would be like? It would be hell, literally. So though I think the way Mardi Gras is celebrated is ridiculous and a waste of time, in many ways, I'm grateful for the idea. It represents that Christ has come and sins can be forgiven. It's like a marker to remind us of the reality of Easter and the necessity of Good Friday. And here's what's amazing. Forgiveness is possible for anyone. Which brings me back to Leviticus. What I love about today's passage is how it offers a way forward for a poor man who cannot afford a sacrificial lamb. In that case, two little birds will suffice as a sacrifice, and he will then be forgiven. How beautiful is that? Leviticus shows us the heart of the Lord. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to be forgiven and thereby receive eternal life. Who needs to hear that today? So we pray together. Lord, thank you for Providing a way for forgiveness for anyone who will simply believe in Jesus. Help us to feel the privilege of having our sins forgiven so we can draw near. And help us to boldly share the good news with others who need to hear it. The name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. All right, everybody, here are some journal prompts to get you thinking. One, what does it say about the Lord that he makes provision in Leviticus even for poor people to be able to make a sacrifice for sin? Two, have you ever had a falling out with someone and then been reconciled back to them? Three, have you ever had a falling out with someone and then been unable to be reconciled? Well, as I mentioned, today is my last day here on the wake up call and I get to sing one more hymn with you. And we're going to start at the very beginning, the first hymn in the hymnal, which is a great one. Before I get there, though, I just want to remind you of the online course of Love goes first. Love to have you jump in with that and you can follow stuff we're doing online and it'd be really fun. So today, for my final closing hymn with you, we're going to sing O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, which is the great Charles Wesley hymn number one in the hymnal. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise. Let's sing it together.