Have you ever wondered why the
date for Easter varies from one year to the next?
As Christians we celebrate the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on that first Easter Sunday. Our Easter Sunday
is tied to the Jewish Passover and the Jewish Passover is determined by the Jewish
calendar which is a complicated thing.Nowadays there is a much simpler explanation: Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the start of spring (March 21).
The tie to spring is strong, which
helps explain why the word “lent” comes from the word “lente” meaning
springtime. Lent is a 40 day period that leads us to Easter and this year lent starts February 10th.
In early Christianity, lent
was focused on baptism and making amends for sin. A little later it centered on
strict fasting and depriving oneself of anything joyous. Today more and more
people use Lent for intentional prayer, meditation and reflection on the
meaning of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
If you’re looking for
something to do for Lent I would invite you to join our Ash Wednesday service. We partner with two other churches throughout Lent. This year Ash Wednesday is February 10th at Our Savior's Lutheran Church at 7PM (695 NW 3rd St, Prineville).
Other suggestions:
·
Know that Jesus Christ suffered and died for
our sin and brokenness; let that guide us in making firm decisions to change
our lives for the better.· Confess our need for God, and be very intentional about seeking and carrying out God’s will for us.
· Commitment to God might begin with going to church, but it also includes us carrying out God’s will every day – regardless.
· Know that Christianity includes times of testing which means calling upon God’s presence in overcoming temptation and despair.
Other ideas might be daily Bible readings, devotionals, journaling, some form a centering prayer…Let me know how I might help your Lenten journey.
Together We Serve,
Pastor Mike