“I invite you, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent, by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting and almsgiving.”
So begins the invitation to the observance to Lenten Discipline. The word “Lent” is derived from Old English lencten, meaning “spring,” the lengthening of days after winter is over. Many of us have already felt a lifting of the spirit in realizing that it is still daylight at 5:00 p.m. Originating in the fourth century of the church, the season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending during Holy Week. Originally, Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized, a time of concentrated study and prayer before their baptism at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord early on Easter Sunday.
Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as “little Easters.” The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations placed before Him by Satan.
Lent has traditionally been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting or sacrifice. Other traditions focus on charitable deeds. Most Christian churches that observe Lent focus on it as a time of prayer, especially penance, repenting for failures and sin as a way to open the heart to the need for God’s grace. It is really a preparation to celebrate God’s marvelous redemption at Easter, and the resurrected life for which we live as Christians.
There’s an old story about a man from the city who was out driving one day, in the country. The signs on the road weren’t very clear, and he got lost. So he stopped at a farmhouse to ask directions. “Can you tell me how far it is to the town of Mill Pond?” he asked.
“Well,” said the old farmer, “the way you’re goin’ it’s about 24,996 miles. But if you turn around, it’s about four.”
And therein lies our Lenten lesson. Observing Lent is not so much about what formal rituals we do, but about figuring out where we are, finding our way again, and choosing to turn around our lives back toward God. Where are you now? And which way will you choose?
