Welcome to the season of Lent which begins this Sunday! Whenever we enter this important time of year, it is important to get a refresher on this six-week season in the church year.

Why? Well, because Lent can feel a little archaic if we’re honest. It can also feel a little too “downbeat” for the times we’re living in. Suffice to say, I’m here to tell you that it is neither archaic (at least not in a negative way) or downbeat (at least as long as we approach it correctly). 

Lent is the forty days leading up to Easter. Now, the trouble is that if you do some high math and count the days from the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday) to Easter Sunday there are more than 40. There are 46. That’s because the Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent even though the tenor of worship during this time is decidedly “Lenten” in feel. The idea is that every Sunday should be considered a “little Easter” so they are not “officially” included in Lent.

Lent is a time of intentional introspection and evaluation of one’s discipleship in Christ. There are two dimensions to that introspective evaluation:

First, how well am I practicing my faith? How well do I communicate the Good News through my daily actions and life-priorities? 

Secondly, am I remembering God’s companionship when I face challenges in life? This is a major emphasis in Lent. When tragedy, pain and hardship strike (and they will), you are to remember the suffering of Christ on the cross because in doing so you can feel less alone in your own suffering. In fact, you are to remember that God leaves no one in the crucifixion moments of life but always delivers those who suffer to a new day, a resurrection day, an Easter day.

Built around the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry, Lent is among the oldest Christian traditions. It was originally intended to be observed only by those preparing for baptism but soon—at the Council of Nicea in 325—was applied to the church as a whole. 

Self-denial has traditionally been a major theme of Lent. This is in order to help people re-prioritize their lives. This has evolved from dangerous levels of fasting to denying oneself candy, but the idea is that “giving things up” for Lent is a tangible way for many people to remember their dependence upon God.

Realistically, austerity is no longer a notable hallmark of Lent. It is not as if Dunkin Donuts closes their doors for six weeks. People’s routines don’t actually change that much. In fact, Lent (and Ash Wednesday in particular) are fading in terms of observance in many churches. This is a great loss because Lent not only reminds us of the rich liturgical and spiritual heritage to which we belong, but it is also a genuine means of re-igniting your own, individual faith-life along with that of our church communities.

In addition to coming to worship during Lenten Season, here’s an easy place to start (not that Lent should be easy, mind you): 

Find just one minute to be completely still today. Sixty seconds. That’s it. Focus your attention on God. Focus your attention on Jesus. What do you hear in the silence? 

Tomorrow, double the time to two minutes. Keep doing that until you reach five minutes. 

If you can spend just five minutes a day in silent reflection during Lent, I guarantee you will rediscover the power of this important time of year. 

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic