15 Feb 2012

What is Lent?

For many of us, “Lent” is unfamiliar—maybe we have heard that some Christians give something up during this time, but little else. Others may have grown up in a home where some fasting was observed, but never really explained. 

Lent is a season of forty days (plus six Sundays) before Easter. Very early on, Easter was celebrated as a great feast in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection, the center of our hope. Almost at once Christians began to observe a period of self-examination, prayer, fasting, and giving as a way of deepening their love for God and neighbor. The period of forty days was chosen as an intentional identification with Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 3).

Both in ancient times and today, Lent is an opportunity to consider our lives, remember our need for a Savior, and release things that have become an obstacle to trusting God. Fasting or praying during Lent does not impress God or earn His approval; instead, it helps us remember that we are saved by Christ alone, and shaped as we share in His sufferings. Lent can help us acknowledge that our afflictions grow our character, so we can surrender and trust God.

Lent includes a few distinct periods:

  • Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent (this year, February 22). Traditionally, this is a day of fasting; some Christians participate in a service where they are marked on the forehead with ashes as a sign of repentance (and also a reminder that we are sealed in Christ, Revelation 14:1).
  • The five weeks of Lent are a time for us to consider our need for a savior. Many Christians participate in some form of fasting and giving. This year we're joining as a community to support the food pantry of the AIDS Support Network/SLO Hep C Project.
  • Holy Week (this year, April 1–8) is our annual remembrance of the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. It includes Palm Sunday (celebrating Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem), Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper, and Jesus’ new commandment [mandatum in Latin] to love one another), Good Friday (the crucifixion and death of Jesus), and Holy Saturday (a day of quiet when Jesus lay in the tomb). Holy Week ends with Easter, our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection!

Click here to find out how you can participate in Lent with us at First Baptist Church this year!