The word “Lent” comes from an ancient verb meaning “to lengthen” and the season of Lent coincides with the lengthening of daylight (in the Northern Hemisphere that is!).
With the lengthening of daylight we begin to anticipate the time when winter’s chill will have passed and the dormant earth will burst forth with the colors of Spring. And with the “lengthening” of Lent we begin to anticipate the coming of Easter and the promise that there can be a new and different life for our soul and our world.
Lent has traditionally been a season of self-examination, prayer, fasting and works of love. It has both an inward, spiritual focus and an outward movement of loving service. Opportunities to nurture and deepen our spiritual selves and to reach beyond our selves will be a part of our church life in the coming weeks:
- Gather for Sunday Worship
- Remind yourself that there is something special about this season by adding something to your daily life in the form of a morning or evening prayer, reading something that will feed your faith, or spending some quiet time for reflection while walking or sitting
- Bring non-perishable goods to the Parish House for our Food Pantry
- And give to the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering on March 18th and send God's message of love and hope to people in more than 80 countries by providing sources of clean water and food, education and health care, small business micro-credit, advocacy and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons, and domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response.
The season of Lent lasts for 40 days, a number that symbolizes the 40 years Israel journeyed through the wilderness towards the promised land and the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert in preparation for his ministry. In your own heart and together with others make this journey a part of your life in this season of lengthening days that climaxes with Easter and all the hope and promise it brings to us.
With anticipation,
