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Lent

The word "Lent" stems from the Middle English word "lenten", meaning "spring".  Spring is the season when all of God's creation comes back to life from winter's death. Easter is the day when we celebrate Christ's resurrection.

Lent is a period of fasting and penitence traditionally observed by Christians in preparation for Easter. The length of the Lent was established in the 4th century as 40 days.

The Anglican church defines fasting as having your first solid food at noon and having only one full meal and two smaller meals that together are less than one full meal -- giving up the equivalent of one meal a day.

The Lenten season was originally based in the preparation of baptism candidates at what is called a Paschal (Passover) vigil. The candidates received heavy instruction for several weeks each session.  Prayer and exorcism then took place. The earliest detailed account of these ceremonies is in Hippolytus' Apostolic Tradition (about 200 AD). At the end of these ceremonies, all the faithful joined the candidates in a fast on Friday and Saturday before Easter.

Some churches don't observe Lent. These are usually ones influenced by the 16th century Anabaptists, who mistakenly thought that the Romans had invented all Christian Holy days. As a result, the Anabaptists refused to observe Holy Days.

Below are links to a presentation for a 2011 combined Adult Sunday School class at Avondale Pattillo UMC. The session emphasized thinking and acting positively while journeying with Jesus during Lent.

40 days of instruction and fasting

Canon 5 of the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 mentions Lent as a 40-day period (six weeks). In the 4th century bishops gave instructions to the candidates. The Roman Church organized its instruction around three (later seven) "scrutinies," at which the "catechumens" were introduced to the Gospels, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer.

As basis for the length, religious leaders used the period of the 40 days in the wilderness of Moses, Elijah, and Christ. Moses, representing the Law, only approached God on Sinai after purifying himself by a fast of 40 days (Exodus 24:15-18).  Similarly, Elijah, representing the Prophets, only approached God on Horeb after purifying himself by a fast of forty days (1 Kings 19:8).  After his Baptism, Christ prepared himself for public ministry by fasting for 40 days in the wilderness, where Satan tried to tempt him. (Luke 4:1-2)

Originally the forty days of penance were counted from the eve of the first Sunday of Lent to the hour of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday). Next began the Paschal mystery (Christ's Passion ... Holy Week), for which the prior forty days were a preparation.

Lent, now consists of two parts.  The first is the four days from Ash Wednesday to the First Sunday of Lent.  The second is the thirty six day period between the first Sunday in Lent and Easter Sunday. This second part of Lent is called the time of Passiontide.

In Western and Eastern churches, Sunday was never a fast day, so religious leaders made  the Lenten fast exactly fit 40 days excluding Sundays.  The 40 days ended on Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday), as Holy Week started.  In Eastern churches, where Saturdays were also excluded from fasting, this developed into an eight-week Lent. Starting in the late 5th century, fasting in Rome began on the Wednesday before the first Sunday in Lent.

The observance of fasting or other forms of self-denial during Lent varies within Protestant and Anglican churches. These churches usually emphasize penitence.

Hymns for Lent and Easter

Each of the special day pages includes songs and hymns associated with that day. The songs include one from the United Methodist Hymnal (UMH) as well as free ones plus links to commercial anthems.

Bible Readings

See the separate pages about special days in Lent for links to Bible readings for that day or period.

References