What Is Lent?

As we begin to enter into the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, February 21, you may be wondering what ‘Lent’ is all about. Lent began in the early church, during the 4th century, as a time to prepare for your baptism and enter into the Christian community on Easter Sunday. To prepare the ‘community’ for the entrance of new members, the entire community joined together for 40 days to prepare themselves and their community to be as spiritually healthy and alert as possible. It was also a time for those who had been separated from the Christian community, for whatever reason, were prepared to return home.

The 40 Days of Lent comprise the days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (the day before Easter), but does not include Sundays. The reason Sundays are not included is that during Lent, people are called to observe a ‘holy Lent’: “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word”. It was also a time to reflect on our own mortality. Therefore, with Sundays being a day of celebration always reflecting the resurrection of Christ, Sundays were excluded from the practices observed during those 40 days. In fact, most would not ‘fast’ on Sunday for that reason.

Today, we use the season of Lent as a time of preparation for Easter. Many still observe some of the ancient practices to draw nearer to God during those 40 days like fasting and self-denial. You are encouraged to enter into a greater commitment during these 40 days in your spiritual disciplines…whether that be in your worship, prayer life, meditation on God’s Word, or fasting. Use this time to draw nearer to God. And as we do, may we reflect more of who it is that God has called us to be.

What is Holy Week?

Holy Week is the week prior to Easter Sunday. We begin with Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday. There is that dual understanding of the Sunday prior to Easter since many do not participate in services throughout Holy Week. By missing out on those services, people could simply move from the joy of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the resurrection of Jesus on Easter. Holy Week brings us into touch with the suffering, agony, and pain that Christ suffered through prior to his death and resurrection.

Maundy Thursday, the Thursday prior to Easter, is a time to remember the Last Supper that Christ had with his disciples. At times, that can be remembered through a drama or message that takes us back to that night in the Upper Room. That evening, as we all remember by participating in a service of Holy Communion, we are reminded of what Christ did for us in the Breaking of the Bread and the Drinking from the Cup.

Good Friday, the Friday prior to Easter, is the day we remember how Christ died on the cross for us. The pain and suffering of that day is remembered through a Service of Darkness that leads us to reflect and feel how deep God’s love is for us.

Why Do People Sometimes Give Up Cokes and/or Candy During Lent?

Since Lent is a time for us to draw nearer to God, people in the early church would ‘fast’ during the season of Lent. Their fasting could consist simply of meats or anything other than fruits or vegetables. The purpose of the fast was two-fold: purification and through their hunger, to recognize they had a greater hunger for God than anything else. Today, our ‘fasts’ tend to be more health conscious than spiritually based. If somehow giving up soft drinks and/or candy draws a person nearer to God, than the purpose if fulfilled. Otherwise, maybe fasting from everything other than water one day a week may help us better recognize our dependence on God and our need for God’s strength.

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