How Should We do This Lent Thing?

Rejoice! Easter is coming early this year! We will gather for the great celebration of Christ’s resurrection on March 23, 2008. The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22 (the latest is in April) so we are about as early as can be. (Easter is always the Sunday after the first full moon following March 20. Come chat with me if you have questions!) This also means Ash Wednesday (February 6) and the season of Lent come very early this year.

So, what is this Season of Lent? The Season of Lent consists of the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and the Maundy Thursday. (Sundays are not counted in the 40 days as they are “mini-Easters” and a time of celebration.) Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and giving. It is a time of focusing on how God calls us to live as disciples of Christ. It is a time of reflecting on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It is not a time to jump back onto the bandwagon of New Year’s resolutions you may have made and already let slide.

What will we do at Sammamish Hills during Lent? We will worship more often and in a slightly different way.

Our mid-week Lenten services return with a simple soup supper at 6 p.m. and Holden Evening Prayer at 7 p.m. (If you would like to be involved in leading Holden Evening Prayer and/or with the soup suppers, please contact me.) Our Sunday services will reflect the contemplative nature of this season of the Church in song, sermon and prayer. Our Sanctuary doors will be open for you to come and pray during the day as well.

What can you do at home, at work or with your family? The ELCA website has a list of interesting ideas which are either free or fairly inexpensive at http://www.elca.org/communication/lentresources.html For those with a Catholic background there is the guide to a Lutheran rosary; you can also sign up for a daily scripture e-mail. A simple thing you can do is set aside a time of prayer in the morning and evening in your home. (If you would like help putting something together, contact me.)

The point of Lent is not to give something up for the sake of giving something up. The point is to spend more time in communication with our God. If giving up chocolate, beer or listening to Kenny G does not open up time to spend with God, then you are making a health choice and not a Lenten choice. (Personally, I’ve given up listening to Kenny G no matter what season of the Church year).

Let us journey together through this Lenten season.

Peace,

Pr. Will