Dear all,
This past Sunday was the Last Sunday after Epiphany, also known as Transfiguration Sunday. The next Sunday is March 9th and is the First Sunday in Lent.
Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter that involves fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. It's observed by many Christians, including Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians. Forty is typically indicative of a time of testing, trial, penance, purification, and renewal. In the New Testament, forty days is the length of Jesus' time of trial in the desert in preparation for his public ministry, proclaiming the Gospel.
Lent is the season of the Christian liturgical calendar beginning on Ash Wednesday and leading up to Easter. Lent lasts approximately 6 weeks. The season is 40 days long, but it's celebrated over 46 days. This is because each Sunday of Lent is considered a 'mini Easter' and is not counted as part of the 40 day Lent observance.
Many people think of Lent as a particularly Roman Catholic practice, but Christians have observed the tradition of Lent since the early days of Christianity. Writings about the observance of Lent date back to the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. And today, many Christian traditions and denominations – including, but not limited to the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodist, and some Reformed traditions – regularly celebrate Lent. And recently, the practice has been growing among other evangelical traditions.
Lent is meant to be a time of spiritual preparation. The purpose of the 40 day length is to recall and parallel the 40 days of temptation that Jesus endured in preparation for his public ministry:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:1-2)
Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the desert while spiritually preparing for his ministry, so too Christians are to spend Lent spiritually preparing for Easter. During this time, Christians are meant to focus on spiritual self-examination, renewal, and growth. In many traditions, Lent is a time of fasting and abstinence. This is where the common "I'm giving up meat or chocolate for Lent" idea comes from. But, in addition to self-denial, Lent is also a time of active practices like alms-giving and acts of mercy, forgiveness, repentance and prayer. Many Christians 'give up' something during Lent in order to spend more time, money, or attention on the active practices previously mentioned.
These practices of denial and action are meant to work in unison to prepare the heart to experience anew the power of Christ's suffering, death, and ultimately, resurrection during Holy week.
To say, "Lent is not a time to give up something, but to take on something" means that during the Lenten season, the focus should be on actively incorporating a new positive practice into your life, rather than simply abstaining from something you enjoy; it's about adding a spiritual discipline or act of kindness instead of just removing something negative.
So, what opportunities are there for us to extend our service to those in need? Where is the risen and abiding Christ leading us to wisely offer the gift of love? And may we not think that these loving actions come to an end at Easter. It is, with the resurrection, a continuing expression of new life and sacrificial presence.
Blessings
Rev. Dr. Bruce Sweet
Email: brucesweet4@gmail.com
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