Lent: The Church's Springtime by Pastor Walter Snyder While the world's calendar shows a few more days until spring, the Christian Church began a new season this past Wednesday. According to our Liturgical Calendar, the forty days, Sundays not included, before Easter are known as ~Lent~. This word comes from Germanic and Old English roots. It means "long day," recognizing winter's close and the sun's warmth returning. By counting the days backward from Easter (this year, 13 April), we discover that Lent arrived on Wednesday 5 March. What's so special about Lent? Easter! The Church's highest holy day gets the longest preparation time. How we observe the season varies among church bodies and individuals. Those without a formal church calendar treat the Lenten season as they do the rest of the year. For those who keep the traditional times and seasons, Lent is generally a time of individual and corporate penance, reflection, or instruction. No matter the details, Lent leads the Church out of the celebration of the Word becoming Flesh at Christmas and the spread of the Light of the World during the Epiphany season. It focuses on the specifics of Jesus' words and deeds as He takes away the sins of the world. The Lenten path leads each year "up to Jerusalem" with Jesus. There, "he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise. (Luke 18:32-33)" The early the Church followed various schedules each year as believers made ready for the celebration of the Resurrection. Finally, most churches reached a consensus of forty days, commemorating the 40 days of Christ's fasting and being tempted in the Wilderness. These 40 days also remind us that we are "pilgrims" here on earth, just as Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years prior to entry into the Promised Land. They also call to mind divine judgment, as in the rain that fell for 40 days and 40 nights in the time of Noah. Above all, they remind us that God sustains and strengthens His people, since He fed and preserved His people in the wilderness, protected Noah's family and representative creatures in the Ark, sent Elijah on a 40 day journey after two meals, and strengthened His Son to resist Satan's power during His fast. Many Christians still fast during all or part of Lent. Some give up a pleasurable activity or enjoyable foods and drinks for a time. These please God if done to honor Him and to heighten awareness of all He does for us. God doesn't, however, force us to do something in order to please Him, to gain forgiveness, or to pay Him back. Through Christ, God is already pleased with us, has already forgiven us, and can never be repaid for all His lovingkindness. Even in this penitential season, springtime breaks in human hearts. We who cannot or will not always walk with Jesus have a Savior and Friend who draws us closer, who walks with us, and who carries us through the worst times of life, even as He carried His cross and our sins to Calvary. The "long days" are with us. The Light shines in our hearts and lives, and we are warmed and encouraged to grow by Him. And even if we practice fasting, almsgiving, or additional praying during Lent, each Sunday is a celebration of Easter, reminding us that the strife is already over, the battle already won. Scripture quotations are from ~The Holy Bible, English Standard Version~, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Ask the Pastor, © 2003 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and redistribution. Translations into other languages should similarly note the United States and any appropriate international copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions concerning the property of others. Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."