What is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day liturgical season that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes at the Great Vigil of Easter.   Sundays are not included in the 40-day count because every Sunday is a joyful celebration of Jesus' resurrection.   Though not biblical, Lent has long been a tradition in the Christian Church, and it is thought that the tradition of the 40 days recalls the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11).  Lent is considered a time of penance and discipline.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.   On this day, Christians focus on their complete sinfulness and the necessity of Christ's suffering and death to insure their salvation.  Ashes are referred to many times in the Old Testament as signs of sorrow, mourning, humility, and repentance, and on Ash Wednesday they are used to remind people of their mortality -- that "you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19).

Many churches use ashes during Ash Wednesday worship in a ritual called the Imposition of Ashes.   Using ashes as a sign of repentance is an ancient practice, often mentioned in the Bible (e.g., Jonah 3:5-9; Job 42:6; Jeremiah 6:26; Matthew 11:21).   The early Christians adopted the use of ashes from Jewish practice as an external mark of penitence.   Ashes symbolize several aspects of our human existence:

Ashes remind us of God's condemnation of sin, as God said to Adam, "Dust you are and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19).

Ashes suggest cleansing and renewal.   They were used anciently in the absence of soap.   On Ash Wednesday ashes are a penitential substitute for water as a reminder of our baptism.

Ashes remind us of the shortness of human life, for it is said as we are buried: "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

Ashes are a symbol of our need to repent, confess our sins, and return to God.

Because of the penitential character of the season of Lent, singing or saying the word "alleluia" has historically been suspended during Lent's forty days.   This period of individual and congregational reflection on the quality of our baptismal faith and life suggests that the joyful nature of alleluia is more appropriately reserved for our Easter celebrations when it is given full and jubilant voice.   An alternate gospel acclamation for Lent that omits the alleluia is provided.

The omission of alleluia during Lent goes back at least to the fifth century in the western church.   The custom of actually bidding it farewell, however, developed in the Middle Ages.   The hymn "Alleluia, song of gladness" (Evangelical Lutheran Worship #318) contains a translation of an 11th century Latin text that compares an alleluia-less Lent to the exile of the Israelites in Babylon.   The text then anticipates the joy of Easter when glad alleluias will return in all their heavenly splendor.

February 5, 2008	Ash Wednesday is a solemn day of prayer that begins the season of Lent.   On this day we confess our sin in a litany of repentance.   During Lent's forty days we are invited to carry out the Lenten discipline, practices of fasting, prayer, and works of love, even as we accompany people around the world who are preparing for baptism at Easter.   On this day we may receive the sign of ashes.   This ancient symbol of repentance reminds us of our mortality.   Returning to God's mercy and grace, marked with the cross of Christ, we make our way through Lent, longing for the baptismal waters of Easter, our spiritual rebirth.
First Sunday in Lent February 10, 2008	The Lenten discipline is a spiritual struggle.   In the confession of sins we acknowledge that we struggle and seek God's strength.   Jesus struggles with us, and so we are sustained.   Help is as close as a prayer and a confession that we cannot do it on our own.   God gives life and its fruit, and so all we offer in worship is giving back what was first given us by grace.   Deaconess Elizabeth Fedde, whom we commemorate today, bore fruit for God by serving others.
Second Sunday in Lent February 17, 2008	Baptism is the compass that guides us through life.   Lent is a season for immersing ourselves in a new identity--reminding us who we are and calling us to what we are to be doing.   The miracle of grace is as amazing as starting a family in your old age, as Abraham and Sarah did, or being reminded that our true citizenship lies beyond this world.
Third Sunday in Lent February 24, 2008	Can we take the news to heart?   Each story we encounter in this season is really about us.   Lent began as we were reminded by an ashen cross that we are mortal; death awaits us.   The clock is ticking; the forty days are unwinding.   We have now!   If we take this day seriously, we may discover that our deepest hungers can be filled. When we know that we are heading toward a forgiving God, the news becomes good news.
Fourth Sunday in Lent March 2, 2008	Lent is the time for coming home.   In the ancient church it was the season for reconciling lapsed Christians to the community of the faithful.   Today's readings provide images of homecoming--Israel's entry into the land of promise, a prodigal son who returned to his waiting father.
Fifth Sunday in Lent March 9, 2008	The Lenten preparation is almost at an end.   Something new is about to happen!   Mary of Bethany's act of anointing Jesus is extravagant, but when we know that grace has come to us, it is time for lavishness.   Our old values get rearranged when we realize how deeply we are loved.   In this week, nine months before Christmas, the church also celebrates the Annunciation.   "Greetings, favored one!   The Lord is with you," says the angel Gabriel to a surprised Mary.  Grace came to Mary, and to us, with that announcement.

The Season of Lent

Four hundred years after the church began, the season of Lent was started.   It constitutes 40 weekdays.  The 40 days do not include Sundays.   The six Sundays are referred to as Sundays in Lent.   The original Lenten season was a time spent in study and prayer for those who were preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil.   Today those 40 days are a time of self examination, repentance, prayer and preparation for the celebration of Easter Sunday.

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days, ending on the eve of Easter.  The exact date of Ash Wednesday is set according to the date of Easter, which changes each year.

The Meaning of Lent

Lent began as a time of preparation and instruction for those who were going to be baptized on Easter Eve.  Eventually, Lent was a time set aside for all Christ's followers to show their devotion to God by fasting and worshiping more often.  Today, Lent is often observed as a time for us to examine our lives and strengthen our faith as we prepare for Easter.

The Colors of Lent

The color of Ash Wednesday is black for the color of ashes, or purple, the color of penitence (which means to be sorry for sins).  The color of the Lenten season is purple.

The Symbols of Lent

Lenten symbols include various kinds of crosses, the crown of thorns, the nails used to put Jesus to death, and the lamb of God, a symbol for the crucified Christ.

The Lenten Banner

The focus of the Season of Lent at Advent this year will be baptism.   In accordance with reflections on baptism the banners have been designed to tell a story.  Using fabrics in a contemporary fashion, the banner on the right becomes an illusion of flowing waters.  The dark purple near the bottom is the liturgical color used during Lent symbolizing the darkness of suffering and pain as well as royalty.  The band of green at the bottom tells of the growth that takes place when the waters come down.  And so it is with the waters of baptism coming down on the children that they may continue to grow into the likeness of God.  The streamers near the baptismal font are a continuation of the baptism story.

---

Holy Week   March 16 - 23, 2008
On this day Christians throughout the world begin the great and holy week that culminates in the central celebration of our faith: the Lord's passage from death to new life celebrated in the Three Days.

More information coming soon about the Holy Week activities at Advent Lutheran.  Celebrate Holy Week at Advent.