The season of Lent is here.  For many people the word "Lent" has very little meaning.  For some, if the word is said fast enough, is nothing more than something you pull out of your belly button (and in my case that is a lot…sorry I know that probably was too much information).  Anyway…

The church season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday (this year…Feb. 21).  This day is a different date every year, thus creating confusion.  Why the change of date every year?  If you really want an in depth explanation go to Yahoo or Google and type in "The date of Easter" and you will get a series of websites talking about that.  But the short of it is this:  Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after the vernal equinox <breathe> (confused yet…so am I, but hang in there).  The vernal equinox is the fixed dated of March 21.  So Easter can never be before March 22 or later than April 25.  Once this is figured out you count back 40 days (not including Sundays…because Sundays are considered days of celebration and not included in the days of Lent) and that will take you to a Wednesday which would be Ash Wednesday.  For example, if Easter falls on March 25 then Ash Wednesday would be Feb. 7.  But like I said, go to the Internet and you can learn a lot more than I can intelligently explain here.

But now that we have dealt with the "housekeeping" of Lent and Easter, the next question is: WHY?  And that is a very good question.  Not all church traditions celebrate/recognize Lent.  Easter is universally celebrated in the Christian church, but Lent and Advent (we can talk about this when Christmas gets closer) are not.  Lent is universally accepted to be a time of preparation as we recognize our sinfulness.  After what is called The Fall (when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden) sin entered the world.  From that time on we have separated ourselves from God through sinful activity that comes through thought, word and deed.  No one can claim to be without sin (except for Jesus Christ…more on Him later). 

In the first few centuries Lent was a time of baptismal preparation where people were prepared for baptism at the Virgil of Easter (Saturday before Easter).  Today Lent is a time of discipline, penitence (a state of being sorrowful or regretful of our sins) and preparation.  Many people give something up or fast (not eat for a period of time) for Lent.  Me personally, I have given up snacking between supper and breakfast (something that is very difficult for me).  This giving up of something is not a "requirement" (at least not in the Lutheran church) but a helpful practice in discipline.

Lent begins the final stretch run with Palm Sunday (the week before Easter).  Palm Sunday (the triumphal of Jesus into Jerusalem — see the Gospels for more information) is the first day of what is called Holy Week.  Thursday we gather for worship on what is called Maundy Thursday(which means commandment).  This is where Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and gave a new command to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jesus words).  Good Friday is a worship time where we recognize Jesus’ crucifixion.  And then the grand finale…EASTER…THE EMPTY TOMB…THE RESURRECTION…NEW LIFE FOR US ALL.  The grandest finale of all.  God’s saving gift for all of creation.

So what am I trying to say?  Basically this:  Enjoy this church season.  Prepare your hearts.  Admit your sinfulness.  And know that the greatest gift of all has been given to us…Jesus Christ our Lord and Risen Savior.  Easter is for you.  Easter is for everyone.  After all that God has done for us, the least we can do is take some time to be transformed through discipline, prayer and worship.

We have messed up…But God lifts us up through Jesus Christ.  Praise be to God…always and forever.  Amen! -edh-