I once heard someone say, “a calendar without a story is inadequate.” We carry our calendars with us, in our smartphones and other electronic devices. They tell us that time is; but they don’t tell us what time is for. From the earliest days Christians told stories of Jesus and their experience with Him. As these stories were told and retold, they clustered around the calendar and replaced the old, original Roman stories, giving the calendar new meaning. The “Roman year” became the “Christian year,” which gave shape to believers’ lives and worship.
And so, once again, we’ve entered that time of the Christian calendar called Lent. Originally, it was a period of preparation for believers under instruction who would be baptized at Easter, a period set as “forty days” by the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Bishop Cyril of Jerusalem (A.D. 348) called this, “a long period of grace, forty days of repentance.”
It is actually in the ministry of Jesus that the inspiration for this period is found. You see, there came a turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus where He took a different course. Matthew records, “He began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem….” Here we see that Jesus began to turn His face toward Calvary. A path, that in a spiritual sense, we should also embark on during the Lenten season.
From my vantage point, Lent should be more than just an annual church tradition, rooted in ritual. Lent might seem like an obligation, but it’s actually an invitation. An invitation in which we renew our commitment, reflect on our lives, and respond to Jesus’ call. In a time when we’ve been conditioned by 30 second commercials, which try and convince us that anything worthwhile can be done quickly and effortlessly, we need to hear and heed God’s eternal Word.
Listen you don’t have to give up ice cream, like I heard President Biden just say on TV he was giving up for Lent. In fact you don’t have to give up anything (unless God tells you to). So, between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, create some space for what matters most. Invest a few minutes each day spending time with God. That’s all God invites us to do.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Frank
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