Lent for dummies

We have been discussing Lent, the forty day season of fasting and prayer that precedes The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ--which begs the question, what in the world is The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ? Quite simply, The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ is just another name for Easter Sunday. And, once you realize where the term "Easter" originated, you feel a whole lot better referring to The Feast of the Resurrection.

In an egg shell, the word "easter" comes from the word "eostre," the name of an ancient pagan goddess associated with springtime and fertility. Just as Lent got its name from the Anglo-Saxon word associated with the lengthening of days, so Easter gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon goddess associated with spring. The early church was good at spreading the good news of Jesus by overlaying Christian holy-days on top of pagan holy-days, until the meaning of the holy-days was truly holy. This practice has left us with some interesting symbols for Easter...like the bunny and the eggs, and perhaps seersucker (though scholars are divided here).

We live in a different time but with similar challenges. Now the holy-days have become "holidays", and our task is to help make them holy again by inserting Jesus every chance we get. It's easy to see how springtime and the focus on fresh shoots of new birth present opportunities to hold up Jesus and His promise of resurrection and life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

    John 12:24-25

So, Lent is an opportunity to let the Holy Spirit prepare us as a church family to celebrate The Feast of the Resurrection with greater power and authenticity. I encourage us all this Lenten season, to make sure we are preparing for The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ and not just the coming of spring.

Please send any questions you may have about Lent to info@allsaintspawleys.org. And remember, Lent can be fun, just don't say "alleluia!"

See you Sunday,

Rob