As we round the seasonal corner shifting from winter to spring, it is that time of year for LENT. Who, what, when? Why, exactly do we give up anything from soda, alcohol, or chocolate, to wearing purple shoes for 40 days?
To answer this, I wanted to share a quick little article my sister-in-law, Barbara, shared recently, "Lent 101" by Beth Richardson, from Alivenow.upperroom.org. Particularly as we are raising (typically-curious-minded) young children in the Christian faith, it never hurts to have a refresher course on Lent's history and traditions. Also, please note at the bottom, a helpful list of "Top 10 Things You Can Try for the Lenten Season." I love that this list reminds us that Lent is not just about giving something up, but about being proactive as well. Enjoy!
“Lent 101″
by BETH RICHARDSON, with input by Penny Ford on JANUARY
25, 2011
Note from the Editor: Lent begins on Ash
Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Thanks to our friend, Rev. Penny Ford for this handy
introduction to Lent.
What
is Lent?
Lent is a season of the Christian Year where
Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer
to God.
When
is Lent?
It’s the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes
Sundays because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it’s about
one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time). Mardi Gras is the day before
Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday. This year it’s from February 13
(Ash Wednesday) to March 31 (Easter), 2013.
Mardi
Gras? What does that have to do with JESUS??
Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday.” It refers to
the day before Lent starts. Since Lent always starts on a Wednesday, the
day before is always a Tuesday. And it’s called “Fat” or “Great” because it’s
associated with great food and parties.
In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of
fasting and repentance. Since they didn’t want to be tempted by sweets, meat
and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. They used
up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and
fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast!
Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild
party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and
simplicity. Oh well. But Christians still know it’s origin, and hang onto the true
Spirit of the season.
So
the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday?
Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras,
usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our
sins, and return to our loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift
from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make
resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we
might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a
minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person’s forehead with
ashes.
Why
ashes?
In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign
of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies
eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance, because
long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes
on their head and wear “sackcloth” (scratchy clothing) to remind them that sin
is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This
was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.
Where
do the ashes come from?
On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a
donkey into Jerusalem while people waved palms and cheered him on. Less then a
week later, Jesus was killed. The palms that were waved in joy became ashes of
sorrow. We get ashes for Ash Wednesday by saving the palms from Palm Sunday,
burning them, and mixing them with a little oil. It’s symbolic.
What
do Christians do with ashes?
At an Ash Wednesday service, folks are invited to
come forward to receive the ashes. The minister will make a small cross on your
forehead by smudging the ashes. While the ashes remind us of our mortality and
sin, the cross reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection (life after death) and
forgiveness. It’s a powerful, non-verbal way that we can experience God’s
forgiveness and renewal as we return to Jesus.
So
what is LENT?
At Jesus’ baptism the sky split open, the Spirit
of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice
from heaven said, “This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased.”
Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the
Spirit. where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. During his
time there he was tempted by Satan and found clarity and strength to resist
temptation. Afterwards, he was ready to begin his ministry.
(Speculation)
Maybe Jesus needed some time with God to sort
through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe needed to
get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God (and
himself) more clearly. Perhaps he wanted some intentional time with
God as he searched for direction and answers like you. Like Jesus, we may
need to take some serious time to pray and listen for God.
Why
“DO” Lent? How do I start?
Are you searching for something more? Tired
of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or
passion? It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes,
relationships, family, and work. Our lives are filled with distractions
that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the
emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol,
too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and
from God.
Lent is a great time to “repent” — to return
to God and re-focus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It’s a 40 day
trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart.
You might try one of these practices for Lent:
FASTING: Some people have been
known to go without food for days. But that’s not the only way to fast.
You can fast by cutting out some of the things in your life that distract you
from God. Some Christians use the whole 40 days to fast from candy, tv,
soft drinks, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives.
You might skip one meal a day and use that time to pray instead. Or you
can give up some activity like
worry or reality tv to spend time outside enjoying God’s creation. What
do you need to let go of or “fast” from in order to focus on God? What
clutters your calendar and life? How can you simplify your life in terms
of what you eat, wear or do?
SERVICE: Some Christians
take something on for Christ.
You can collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to tutor children, or
work for reform and justice in your community. You can commit to help a
different stranger, co-worker or friend everyday of Lent. Serving others
is one way we serve God.
PRAYER:Christians also use Lent as a
time of intentional prayer. You can pray while you walk, create music or
art as a prayer to God, or savor a time of quiet listening. All can
be ways of becoming more in tune with God.
Christians from many different traditions
celebrate Lent. How will you use the time to grow closer to God?
TOP TEN THINGS YOU CAN
TRY FOR THE LENTEN SEASON:
10. Try an
electronic fast. Give up
TV, Guitar Hero, texting, tweeeting, e-mail and all things electronic for one
day every week. (or everyday of Lent!) Use the time to read
& pray.
9. Start a prayer
rhythm. Say a
prayer every time you brush your teeth, hear an ambulance, or check your
e-mail. Before you text someone, pray for them.
8. Read one chapter in
the Bible each day. (Matthew’s
a good book to start with. Psalms, too.)
7. Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it (maybe even yourself.)
6. Give up soft drinks,
fast food, tea or coffee. Give
the money you save to help folks in Haiti or others in crisis.
5. Create a daily quiet time. Spend 30 minutes a day in silence and
prayer.
4. Cultivate a life of
gratitude. Write
someone a thank you letter each week and be aware of how many people have
helped you along the way.
3. Be kind to
someone each day.
2. Pray for others you see as you walk to and from classes or drive
to and from work.
1. Volunteer one hour or more each week with a local shelter,
tutoring program, nursing home, prison ministry or a Habitat for Humanity project.
No comments:
Post a Comment