Lent

“Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencton” – meaning “spring” or “lengthening” from the time of year when the days grow long.  The season begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the Easter Triduum (Maundy Thursday through Easter Day), covering 40 days (excluding Sundays which are little feasts of the Resurrection).  There are three key ideas to Lent:

1 Lent is in imitation of Christ -Early Christians observed “a season of penitence and fasting” in preparation for the Paschal feast, or Pascha (BCP, pp. 264-265). The season now known as Lent (from an Old English word meaning “spring,” the time of lengthening days) has a long history. Originally, in places where Pascha was celebrated on a Sunday, the Paschal feast followed a fast of up to two days. In the third century this fast was lengthened to six days. Eventually this fast became attached to, or overlapped, another fast of forty days, in imitation of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness.   40 is also connected to   Moses’ 40 days with God on Mount Sinai, and Elijah’s 40 days of

2 Lent is for preparing for baptism – Easter has been the high point and culmination of the Christian year  in remembrance and celebration of Jesus’s resurrection and, consequently, of our redemption. As such, Easter was regarded from the earliest times as the most appropriate time for persons to enter the church through the sacrament of baptism.

Four elements leading to baptism were developed – entering, prayer/growth, illumination, and commitment . According to author Alexander Shaia in Hidden Power of the Gospel  these steps  “perfectly echo the lessons taught in the gospel order of Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke. Scholars tell us that the full four-step process leading to baptism had formally appeared by 300 CE. The four-step process for baptism and the gospel sequence so perfectly mirror each other that we surmise the two grew together and likely became common practice in the same time period, sometime between 180 and 300 CE.”

The candidate themselves realized they had to ready themselves in mind and spirit.  By the end of the second century, all Christians fasted at least a day or  more in preparation for Easter, depending upon the level of their devotion. By the fourth century, it had become customary for devout priests and lay persons to join the catechumens in their more intense fasts, instructions and other preparations.

3 Lent is a time of  individual restoration and strengthening the community –Some believe that the word “Lent” may derive from the Latin “lentare”, which means “to bend.” This understanding reinforces a sense of Lent as a time of preparation for personal and collective transformation. Having nurtured ourselves through Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, Lent becomes the time to look truthfully at ourselves and make changes.  Alternately the time was important for those guilty of notorious sins who were being restored to the Christian assembly,  

Historically, it was also used by the church to solidify the Christian community in its early years. 

It wasn’t easy being a Christian in the centuries after Jesus . Lent grew up during the “growing pains” of Christianity. Conversion divided families and communities.   The Church needed to clarify the meaning of Christian faith and life so that its members would form a community that could withstand the pressures of an inhospitable environment. 

So Lent over the centuries has broadened its range of activities. Yes , it is a time of  individual scrutiny – “giving up ”  fasting, abstinence, penance  but more importantly a time of “growing into” through  prayer, self-discipline, study, reflection and reaching out and serving others. 

We don’t just do it individually but also collectively in Lent.   It is a special time for the whole Church to be on a retreat, to take inventory and reexamine priorities, to leave sin and self behind in the love and service of God and our neighbors. To keep a good Lent means to draw closer to God and one another and to prepare ourselves once again to renew our covenant with God through the reciting of our baptismal vows. Lent is a time to prepare to enter afresh into the mystery of Jesus ‘ resurrection and importantly our redemption.

Lent is:

• A time for looking at the things we do that are wrong or that tempt us, asking God’s and other people’s forgiveness;
• A time for giving up things that keep us from being loving people;
• A time for doing extra things that will help us grow closer to God;
• A time to be more aware of what it means to love as God loves us;
• A time to ask God to help us to be more loving, remembering that God is always ready to strengthen us.

 

• Lent Is a 40 day Christian festival beginning Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter (Sundays are not counted)
• The word “Lent” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word lengten, which means “springtime,” named so for the time of the year in which it occurs. The days lengthen in light vs. darkness.From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, what was cold becomes warm. What was dormant awakens. Just as green shoots break through the winter earth, so the church stirs into action to proclaim the Easter mystery: in dying, God destroys death, and in rising, God delivers and proclaims newness of life.
• What we now call Lent was originally a period of fasting and study for catechumens who were to be baptized on the Saturday before Easter. The 40 day fast was said by Athanasius in 339 AD to be celebrated the world over. The 40 day fast of Jesus in the wilderness was responsible for the number 40 being chosen.
• The purpose of this extended fast was to practice self-denial and humility. This was to prepare oneself for receiving God’s grace and forgiveness in baptism, given on Easter Saturday or Easter Sunday.
• The liturgical color for Lent is purple, the color of repentance and sorrow for sin.
• Lent prepares us for the observance of Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for us. It is a season of repentance and sorrow for sin. Lent is a time of self-examination in light of the Ten Commandments; it is a time of giving up of sinful behavior, a time of personal housecleaning. It is a time of commitment to the new life of Christ begun in baptism. It is a time of disciplined study of Scripture and a time of growing in faith.
• In recent years Lent has become a time to remember our baptisms. It is a time to reflect on the impact of baptism on our lives, and to ask ourselves how we are doing. Most of all, it is a time of renewal and new beginnings, as we through faith apply the complete forgiveness won by Christ’s death to our lives. Lent heightens our awareness that we desperately need Jesus Christ.
• As someone has said: “Lent is the Church’s springtime. Out of the darkness of sin’s winter emerges a people the Church–reborn through baptism into their Lord’s death and resurrection from the grave.”
• Lent is an opportunity not an obligation. It is not commanded by our Lord, nor is it even mentioned in the Bible. Those Christians who observe it do so because they find it a helpful opportunity for repentance and renewal, for the strengthening of their faith. Christians are free to observe or not observe Lent.
• The beginning of what we call “Ash Wednesday,” is difficult to date with certainty, though it probably began around 600 A.D.
• How the interior of the church changes ? A. The church changes Vestments are changed to purple, a color associated with mourning. B. Ornate crosses and other adornments are veiled in the church and all floral decorations are removed. (Crucifixes are left uncovered.) C. The shout of praise “Alleluia” is eliminated from all acts of worship. D. The Eucharist begins with an acclamation that acknowledges our need for mercy. The Celebrant says, “Bless the Lord who forgiveth all our sins,” and the people respond, “His mercy endureth for ever.” E. The Gloria (“Glory be to God on high”) is neither sung nor said, and the service music changes to more penitential settings. F. The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments, see The Book of Common Prayer, page 317) is read or sung at the beginning of Sunday Eucharists. G. The priest’s final blessing over the congregation is replaced with a solemn prayer focusing on the Lenten journey.
• Ashes are applied to the forehead of Christians in the sign of the cross (throughout the Middle Ages ashes were sprinkled on the head) as a symbol of humility and repentance. The ashes are a reminder that we are “dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Thus, they are a reminder of our mortality cursed as it is by sin. Moreover, the ashes remind us of our limits, of what we are, and how greatly we need God’s mercy in Christ.

How do we fulfill the call for a Holy Lent?

A. By self-examination. This means setting aside time to intentionally reflect upon one’s thoughts and actions, acknowledging the ways in which we fall short of God’s goodness and love.

B. By repentance. To repent means to have “a change of heart” and to “turn around” from actions and attitudes contrary to God’s will. This means honestly confessing our sins to God and receiving his forgiveness.

C. By prayer. This calls us to take part in the Church’s corporate acts of worship as well as the setting aside of time for personal prayer.

D. By fasting. To fast is to abstain from certain foods or all food for a period of time. Fasting separates you from the distractions of this world and it brings us into a closer union with God. It allows us to hear God better and fully rely upon Him.

E. By self-denial. Denying oneself in Lent means giving up certain luxuries, even legitimate pleasures, in order to focus oneself spiritually.

F. By reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. In Lent, believers are especially called to read and reflect on Scripture in a daily way.

“To grow up in Christ will make you settled. See Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. The devil makes three attempts to lure Jesus away from his identity and purpose. He even enlists Scripture to help his work of confusion and deception.

“But, in short order and with only a few words, Jesus fends off the attack, and the devil is rebuked. But, take note of the devil’s approach. Notice where he thought there might be an opening. Watch what word he begins each temptation with. The devil prefaces each temptation with the word “if.” “If you are the son of God,” do this or that. Remember, “If” denotes something conditional, something that needs to be proved or earned. The “if” is an attempt to surface and activate any latent doubts Jesus may be harboring about his identity and purpose.

“It doesn’t work because Jesus is clear. There is nothing unfinished or performative in his devotion. His identity is settled. He understands himself to be exactly who and what God said. Christian maturity for us means our primary identity and purpose is also settled. We are who God says we are: beloved, forgiven, gifted, growing and redeemed. No need to prove it, just be it. Doing flows from being. Jesus is immune to the devil’s efforts because he knows life is not a possession to be traded away for passing fancies. And, life need not be a consuming and exhausting quest for approval based on achievement.

The first pillar of Christian maturity is recognizing and accepting at increasing depth that we are followers of Jesus Christ, first and foremost. And, that this ultimate allegiance expressed practically day to day, is a response to the relationship God has initiated. Jesus’ purpose is our purpose expressed through our uniqueness. Settled

Luke 4:1-13. Jesus overcame temptation because his identity and purpose was settled.

Read one or more Scriptures about Christians’ identity:
Gen 1:27 – created in God’s image1
John 3:1 – a child of God
Jeremiah 31:3 – loved
1 Corinth 6:11 – a Saint
Ephesians 2:10 – a masterpiece
Ephesians 1:6 – accepted
Ephesians 1:3 – blessed
2 Corinth. 5:17 – a new creation
Galatians 3:13 – redeemed
1 Corinth. 4:20 – empowered
Romans 12:2 – transformed
Philippians 3:20 – citizen of heaven
Deut. 31:8 – never alone
Romans 8:9 – filled w/ the Holy Spirit
Psalm 139:14 – wonderfully made
1 Peter 4:10 – gifted
Rom 12:5 – part of the Body of Christ

I. Theme – Developing strength and hope in the face of temptation and evil

“ Christ in the Desert ” – Nikolas Kramskoy (1872)

“After his baptism, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. ” –Luke 4:1

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:

Old Testament – Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm – Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Epistle – Romans 10:8b-13 Gospel – Luke 4:1-13

Today’s readings offer strength and hope in the face of temptation and evil. Deuteronomy recalls God’s great deliverance and encourages Israel to depend solely on God. Paul declares that salvation comes to those who call on Jesus as lord. In today’s gospel, Jesus trusts solely in God and thus defeats the temptations presented by the devil

Lent begins as a journey to the cross, a journey of repentance and self-denial, a journey of serving others. We are also reminded that our ancestors were sojourners, that we are called not only to seek forgiveness but to forgive and reconcile with others, and that we have faith in the same God, the same Christ, and when we are seeking God, we are seeking relationship with each other. The journey reminds us that we are in this together, pilgrims to the cross, where we put to death what has separated us from God and live in the hope of resurrection.

The journey begins with where we are now and that we are the beloved of God. This week, focus on our most basic routines: eating, drinking, and washing. Try a new pattern of life for a day, a week, or the whole Lenten season. For example, adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet, with every bite reducing suffering and caring for creation. Or, whenever you wash your face, your body, the dishes – whenever you encounter water, intentionally recall the waters of baptism. Remember Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, and hear again God’s voice proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to you: “You are my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.”

We are not alone in facing life’s challenges as Jesus was in Luke. Although we might raise the question about how the indigenous Canaanites felt about the coming of the Hebrews, the key element of this passage is its affirmation that God hears, responds, and acts. God is influenced by our cries of anguish – God hears the cries of the poor, oppressed, and vulnerable. God is present in the soup kitchen, the unemployment line, and the bedside. God does not control the outcome of our quests for wholeness, but is a factor in bringing about moments of comfort, possibilities of change, and the movements of liberation and affirmation.

Jesus Christ, our Champion against the devil, endures and overcomes “every temptation” (Luke 4:13) on our behalf. He worships the Lord, His God, and serves Him only by trusting the Word of His Father: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). Jesus’ victory is now ours through His gracious Word, which is not far away but near us — in our mouth and in our heart, in the proclamation of repentance and faith

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The ashes symbolize both death and repentance. God has given us a way out of our plight of “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” It is the way of the cross. The death of Jesus was God’s way of placing a sign of infinite value upon that which would otherwise be worthless.

The Alleluia comes to us from Hebrew, and it means “praise Yahweh.” Traditionally, it has been seen as the chief term of praise of the choirs of angels, as they worship around the throne of God in Heaven. ‘Alleluia’ is an apt expression in the context of what we celebrate during Easter – it is simply to praise the lord for his triumph over death.

We move from death at the time of Ash Wednesday to a focus of life and hope at Easter 47 days later.

1.  Desmond Tutu   from In God’s Hands

And humans were given dominion over all creation. That is why we were created to be God’s viceroys, to be God’s stand ins. We should love, we should bear rule over the rest of creation as God would. We are meant to be caring in how we deal with the rest of God’s creation. God wants everything to flourish. It gives us a huge responsibility – that we should not ravish and waste the natural resources which God places at our disposal for our wellbeing.

 2. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

Lenten Message

Clarence Jorden of the Koinonia Movement many years ago wrote this: Jesus founded the most revolutionary movement in human history, a movement built on the unconditional love of God for the world, and the mandate to those who follow to live that love.

The season of Lent is upon us. It is a season of making a renewed commitment to participate and be a part of the movement of Jesus in this world. You can see some of that in the Gospel lesson for the first Sunday of Lent where Luke says that after the Baptism of Jesus he went into the wilderness, there to be tempted of Satan.

After the Baptism. Baptism is the sacrament of commitment to the Jesus Movement. It is to be washed, if you will, in the love and the reality of God, and to emerge from that great washing as one whose life is dedicated to living that love in the world.

In this season of Lent, we take some time to focus on what that means for our lives, whether it is as simple as giving up chocolate candy or as profound as taking on a commitment to serve the poor or to serve others in some new way. Whatever it is, let that something be something that helps you participate in the movement of God’s love in this world following in the footsteps of Jesus.

And the truth is, the fact that Jesus was baptized and began that movement in the world and immediately found himself tempted by the devil is an ever-present reminder that this movement is not without struggle. It is not easy. The truth is, this movement is difficult. It’s hard work. It’s work of following Jesus to the cross. And it’s work of following Jesus through the cross to the Resurrection. To new life. And new possibility. That is our calling. That is the work of the movement. To help this world move from what is often the nightmare of the world itself into the dream that God intends.

So I pray that this Lent, as they used to say many years ago, might be the first day of the rest of your life. It might be a new day for this world.

3. Pope Francis

God’s people, then, need this interior renewal, lest we become indifferent and withdraw into ourselves. To further this renewal, I would like to propose for our reflection three biblical texts.

1. “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Cor 12:26) – The Church

2. “Where is your brother?” (Gen 4:9) – Parishes and Communities

3. “Make your hearts firm!” (James 5:8) – Individual Christians

First, we can pray in communion with the Church on earth and in heaven. Let us not underestimate the power of so many voices united in prayer! The 24 Hours for the Lord initiative, which I hope will be observed on 13-14 March throughout the Church, also at the diocesan level, is meant to be a sign of this need for prayer.

Second, we can help by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far through the Church’s many charitable organizations. Lent is a favourable time for showing this concern for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging to the one human family.

Third, the suffering of others is a call to conversion, since their need reminds me of the uncertainty of my own life and my dependence on God and my brothers and sisters. If we humbly implore God’s grace and accept our own limitations, we will trust in the infinite possibilities which God’s love holds out to us. We will also be able to resist the diabolical temptation of thinking that by our own efforts we can save the world and ourselves.

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Lent is a 40 day Christian festival beginning Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter (Sundays are not counted).  The 40 day fast of Jesus in the wilderness was responsible for the number 40 being chosen .  It was said by Athanasius in 339 AD to be celebrated the world over.

The word “Lent” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word lengten, which means “springtime,” named so for the time of the year in which it occurs.   The five Lenten Sundays are followed by the Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week, when we relive the events of Jesus Christ’s suffering and death.

What we now call Lent was originally a period of fasting and study for catechumens who were to be baptized on the Saturday before Easter.  The purpose of this extended fast was to practice self-denial and humility. This was to prepare oneself for receiving God’s grace and forgiveness in baptism, given on Easter Saturday or Easter Sunday.

Lent is:

• A time for looking at the things we do that are wrong or that tempt us, asking God’s and other people’s forgiveness;
• A time for giving up things that keep us from being loving people;
• A time for doing extra things that will help us grow closer to God;
• A time to be more aware of what it means to love as God loves us;
• A time to ask God to help us to be more loving, remembering that God is always ready to strengthen us.
• A time to let go of our normal routine, try a new spiritual practice, to step out of our box, to reflect on ourselves, to reflect on a relationship with God. It can be a very creative time. At a later time these practices may help us endure trying of challenging times. Lent gives us a chance to practice facing our fears, journeying in the wilderness, confronting the dangers and difficulties we find there, and reaching out for Jesus’ hand the entire trip.
•”The forty days of Lent serve as a time for Christians to return to the Sacred Presence, to the God who has never left us, even though at times we have been far away. Lent is a time to renew classic disciplines of prayer and reflection, as well as ancient practices such as fasting and Bible study. All of this is designed to renew a right spirit within us and to prepare us for the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter.” ‐The Rev. Gary Jones, St. Stephens, Richmond

Two priests from All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick Maryland discuss the Ash Wednesday experience. (click the link below)

Conversation about Lent