Reflection: “Lent – tell me more”
provided by Peter Andrews this week. So what is today all about – the first Sunday of lent? The origin of the word lent can be traced back to old English - lencten, or lengten - spring season. Literally it means lengthening of hours of daylight which of course refers to the lengthening of days in the northern hemisphere. So the word embraces a sense of moving out of darkness towards the light Of course that makes less sense to us here in the southern hemisphere – an undeniable fact that led to one brave member of the assembly’s transforming worship group to hypothesise “could we shift the church calendar to suit us? Everything - lent, Easter, Christmas - the whole shebang moved six months so it works for us. It might actually help to make people aware of both the origins of these festivals of faith and decouple them from the secularisation/commercialisation of things like Easter and Christmas so they regain some spiritual meaning". I’m not brave enough to go down that path (although I am sympathetic to the reasoning) so lets approach the subject from a more conventional perspective. Lent is a season of preparation and discipline that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes at sundown on Holy Saturday - a period of forty weekdays and six Sundays - a period of grief that ends with the great celebration of Easter. Interestingly in eastern orthodox circles the season is known as "bright sadness" Lent is a time when the church especially remembers the life and ministry of Jesus and renews its commitment to him in Christian discipleship. Some Lent-observing Christians incorporate a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar. Other Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in imitation of Jesus’s sacrifice during his journey into the desert for 40 days. Our catholic friends often observe the stations of the cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ’s carrying the cross and crucifixion. This practice has been incorporated into other forms of reflection and celebration such as the stations of the cross art exhibition that has been staged by St Ives and then Northmead congregations with art pieces offered by a wide range of religious and secular artists -thus providing the opportunity and fresh stimulus for reflection. Some churches remove flowers from their altars and veil crucifixes, religious statues that show the triumphant Christ, and other elaborate religious symbols in violet fabrics in solemn observance until Good Friday. In most Lent-observing denominations, - following the New Testament narrative - the last week of lent coincides with Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. Beyond the factual narrative, what of the personal aspects? Lent provides a special or focused opportunity for self-reflection, simplicity, and sincerity (honesty) to pay attention to ourselves and our surroundings, to leave some things behind and become more open to the spirit of God. Over time three entwined practices have come to be associated with the period of Lent.
The question that hangs in the air is how we might experience and celebrate Lent in 2023 – both as a church community and also as individuals. I invite you to take a moment to reflect on your own Lenten journey. Peter
1 Comment
Lena Beryl Blok
1/3/2023 05:44:38 pm
Thank you Peter for your message. It is a challenge to spend time during Lent to reflect and study God's word, preparing ourselves for Easter.
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