![]() We'll silence ourselves before the Sovereign who became a servant. "If we want to make the most of this annual opportunity, we'll do more than just give something up. In his article, "Join the 40-Day Feast: How to Prepare Ahead for Easter," Scott Hubbard so beautifully puts it like this: It is a short season that sets my heart right as Easter approaches. The benefits to taking part in Lent are many and personally, I have found that observing it has been a delight and not a burden. You can celebrate Lent through fasting, prayer, meditation, Bible study, reflection, or worship. There are countless ways to center your thoughts on Jesus during Lent. The decision to observe Lent can be made individually. Lent is never mentioned in the Bible and is not a season that the Bible commands us to celebrate. Lent helps us focus on what's most important. I know in the past I have spent more time focusing on preparing Easter baskets and planning the Easter menu than on getting my heart ready to celebrate my Lord and Savior. The goal of Lent is to intentionally focus on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the weeks leading up to Easter so that we can better recognize the significance of what He has done for us. Their restraint from a certain activity or food is a constant reminder that their life is not about consuming pleasures, but worshiping their Savior. Some choose to observe Lent by giving up or fasting from something. The ashen cross on their forehead is a reminder of people in the Bible who repented of their sin while sitting in piles of dust and ash that represented their frailty and weakness. Some choose to take part in Ash Wednesday. There is no right and wrong way to observe it. ![]() This has led to much confusion over how and why one should partake in Lent.Īt its core, the heart of Lent is to focus on our need for Jesus. And if you did it the wrong way, you were looked down on. They decided there were right ways to celebrate it and wrong ways to celebrate it. Over time some groups of people began to think Lent was more about doing and saying the right things than about the attitude of the heart. Lent specifically reminds us that we are sinners who are in need of Jesus's sacrifice. In the same way advent prepares us to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas by helping us take time to think about the significance of that event before the day comes, Lent prepares us to honor the sacrifice and death of Jesus. It was instituted as a reminder to repent of sin and meditate on the sacrifice of Jesus in the weeks leading up to Easter. Depending on the year, it can begin in February or March, but it always ends on Easter. Lent is a period of forty days (excluding Sundays). So, what is Lent? Should all Christians observe it? What is the purpose of it? Let's explore each of these questions together. Perhaps you have heard it talked about in your church or on social media. There are many denominations that do not observe Ash Wednesday but do take part in the Lent season. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by Catholics but is also observed by some other denominations as well. ![]() The crosses are drawn in ash and signal the beginning of the Lent season, which begins today, Ash Wednesday. ![]() As you go about your day today, you may see people with small black crosses on their foreheads. ![]()
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