Lent 2025

      Lent signifies a solemn 40-day period preceding Easter. Commencing on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Saturday, Lent is characterized by fasting, prayer, and repentance as believers prepare for the celebration of Easter Sunday. This season of reflection and self-discipline involves practices such as abstaining from certain indulgences, fostering a deeper spiritual connection, and commemorating the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The Early Church focused on marking the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus

through prayer, repentance and fasting, and this developed into 40 days of preparation before what we call Easter. The number forty is a significant biblical number.

In Genesis, the flood was after 40 days and nights of rain (Genesis 7:12, 17). Moses and the Hebrews spent 40 years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 29:5) after they escaped Egypt. Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28). Elijah traveled forty days before he reached the cave where he had his vision (1 Kings 19:8). Jonah gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4).

By the fourth century AD, Lent had become normal practice. The idea of 40 days of self-discipline, was based on the time which Jesus spent in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:13 and Luke 4:1–13). All three accounts say that Jesus fasted for 40 days.

Lent begins this year on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, and will end on Holy Saturday, April 19th, 2025.

It is not unusual for Christians to approach Lent with a pre-conceived plan to give up certain things pursuant to a 40-day exercise in contrition.  Giving up smoking, eating fast food, chocolate and so on are deprivations you undertake for yourself, for the sake of your health. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and there’s even a lot that’s right about it.

We also can think of Lent as a time to give.  When we give we remember how profoundly we have been blessed, and how miraculously we have been redeemed.  When we give instead of, or in addition to, giving up something, we contribute to the common good.

Our 30 Pieces of Silver offering during Lent is a way to give.  The monies collected will be split between our Scholarship Fund and the Hands of Grace Fund.

Rev. Phil and I will offer a Lenten Bible Study on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. starting on March 4.

May you have a blessed Lent.

Rev. Ken McDonald