Minister's Memo
A monthly word from the Pastor of Kuhn Memorial, Jerry Harrah.
THE SEASON OF LENT
Theme:
- Retreating Into the Wilderness with Jesus
Dates:
- Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on
Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because
Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent begins on 6 February 2008
and ends on 22 March 2008, which is the day before Easter.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent officially ends at sundown on 20
March (Holy Thursday), with the beginning of the mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Colors:
Scripture Readings:
- The Revised Common Lectionary appoints Scripture readings for use in worship during the Season of Lent.
The East:
- In Orthodox churches, this season is called the Great Lent. It begins on Clean Monday.
Special Days:
- Ash Wednesday, 21 February 2007
- The Annunciation, 25 March 2007
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated
in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves
and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the
individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous
history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the
New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles. (See The Apostolic Constitutions,
Book V, Section III.)
If your church does not observe Lent, you can find out why.
You can read about fasting, which is a spiritual discipline that does not involve starvation or dehydration. You can also
read Honest to God for an explanation of what we accomplish by observing Lent.
You can find out about Lenten fasting during medieval times. The link even includes a very interesting recipe!
The Western Church
Because Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, we skip over Sundays when we calculate the length of Lent. Therefore, in the
Western Church, Lent always begins on Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter.
In many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, or Fasching) has become a last fling
before the solemnity of Lent. For centuries, it was customary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people
call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.
*Copyright ©1995-2008 by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins. Reprinted with permission.
-Jdh
|
|
 |
