“Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13).
On February 18, the worship services at our church and many other churches shift. With ashen crosses on our foreheads, we remove the word “Alleluia” from our liturgy, many Christians adopt a plan to “give up” something for forty days, and we begin our journey towards the cross and the empty tomb. These are all marks of the season known as “Lent.”
Do you know why we call it “Lent?” It originates from the Old English word lencten, which means “springtime.” The season of Lent mimics the natural patterns of spring. In nature, spring is the season that follows the bitter and barren season of winter. After the thaw, plants start to bud and bloom, and in this process the land blossoms with new green and bright colors. Because of this, spring was considered a natural season of rebirth—and that is why it lends its name to this season. As we go through these forty days (also from bitter cold to blooming spring), we undergo a spiritual renewal of sorts. With penitence and prayer, we allow the old self to die away so that the new self, born of water and the Word, may take root and bloom anew!
In history, the practices to accomplish this task have varied. Some people adopt a fast, such as abstaining from meat for the whole season. Others practiced almsgiving, which is the generous act of providing for the needs of those less fortunate. And, even today, many will gather for special services to repent and focus on God’s Word.
So why do we in the Lutheran Church observe Lent? It is to engage in penitential reflection so that, when the forty days of Lent are up, we can renew our joy in the resurrection of our Lord. Penitence is a state of sorrow for our sins. We focus on the depravity of our sins and how they have pulled us away from God, and from this focus we desire to change. This is why many people will “give up” something for Lent. In history, Christians would give up those practices which frequently led them into sin or away from God, and they replaced those practices with the study of God’s Word and prayer. But even if you do not give up something, you can still accomplish this desire.
For me, one of the most powerful ways to reflect on our sin is found in one pane of stained glass in our sanctuary at Salem, Coloma. The window for this season shows three large stakes (nails) entangled in a circle of thorns. These are the images of Christ’s
passion. By the nails and the long thorns twisted into a crown on Christ’s head, the blood of God’s Son was shed. And not just shed but poured out (quite literally) in the agony of the cross. The red which makes up the backdrop of this window reminds us that Christ’s blood was poured out for the sins of the whole world—and that includes your sins. And mine.
It is that realization which leads me to penitence. It is hard enough to fathom that God so loved the world that His own Son was not spared from death; it is even harder to grasp that the Son of God bore my sins when He was suffering on the cross. And that is what leads me to bow my head anew, that I may show my sorrow for my sins and seek God’s forgiveness.
But when we do this God responds with grace and mercy. The steadfast call of God throughout the season of Lent is in the words from the prophet Joel: “Return to the Lord your God.” Why? “Because He is gracious and merciful.” Often, we fear focusing on our sins because we feel that they should be punished. But the nails and thorns remind us that the punishment for our sins has been taken—not by us, but by Christ. So when we bring our sins before God, He is set to embrace us, not punish again. Our penitence and prayers help us see the grace and mercy of God anew each and every year. And that is why, when the forty days is up, we blossom anew with the loud cry of “Alleluia!” and enter once again into the joy of Christ.
Blessings to you as we enter together into this blessed season.
Photo courtesy of Alex Hoffmeyer
