March 2019 Greetings,
Recently an out of state relative asked me how much snow we got, as if it was a onetime event. My response was “I have no idea because it snows about every other day.” Normally I am a pretty positive person but lately this winter weather is getting to me and I have to remind myself that this too will pass, and spring will come.
With the coming of spring comes Lent and then Easter. Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday (March 6, 2019) and ends on Holy Saturday (April 20, 2019). Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection. The preceding was taken from www.umc.org/whatwebelieve.
I look forward to Lent not just to thaw out and warm up but also to prepare for the coming of the Easter. Join me in this season of preparation, self-reflection and repentance to literally “turn around” and realign our lives and focus toward God.
To God Be the Glory,
Pastor Deb