|  | | Lighthouse Baptist Church | | The Harvest is Plentiful, But the Workers Are Few
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Lent Message | Learning about Lent
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Greetings LBC Family!
There have been a few questions about Lent, so I wanted to clarify some things.
The Lenten season is an important season for Christians around the world. It is a time in which we prepare for the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. During this season, we spend a significant amount of time in self-examination as we acknowledge our weaknesses and our sin. The Lenten season is one of confession and repentance so that we might draw closer to God and deepen our relationship with God. Hence the fasting.
It is in our fasting (abstaining from something, while usually food for many, but may include things like television, video games, facebook, etc.) that we are emptying ourselves so that we can be filled with God's Spirit so that we can truly see ourselves. The great thing about God showing us ourselves is that we do so in the presence of a loving God and we are given the opportunity to change and be transformed and allow our minds and spirits to be renewed.
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It is important to remember that the Lenten season is so much more than just giving up something. Instead, we give up something so that we may be deepen our relationship with our God. So what can you give up or fast from? If there is a food that you struggle to maintain self-control with, you might consider that--for one of the fruit of the spirit is self-control. You can fast from a meal daily during Lent, for example you may fast from lunch. You can fast from those things that I mentioned above, like television, video games, facebook, twitter, surfing the net. You can also fast from things like gossip, laziness, negative thinking and negative speaking. As you abstain from something, you also pick up something--prayer, bible study, meditation, worship, solitude. One of the things that I will be doing is purposing myself to guard my words, that I speak the Word of God more and that I speak life (and not death) into every situation. I also have a couple of Lenten books that I will be reading that will help guide my reading, time of meditation and time of prayer during this Lenten journey. If you are in need of a book to help guide your reading, check out the website for the Upper Room at http://bookstore.upperroom.org/cart/upperroom/c-4515-sortci-location+asc.htm. I'm sure you can also find good reading at places like the Family Christian Bookstore and Lifeway.
As you spend this deeply intimate time with Jesus during this season, you will find that Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday have a greater meaning and your worship experience unlike what you have experienced and known before. When we willingly empty ourselves so that God can fill us--we encounter and experience God's consuming presence in a palpable way. We are not hampered by our sin, nor are we hampered by ourselves. We are able to discern God's voice better, our prayers become more intimate and meaningful, the love that we demonstrate and share with one another is greater, etc.
We are empowered spiritually and we grow spiritually, but we also benefit naturally. You may lose some pounds, your focus may be sharper, etc. All of these are great; just don't become focused on the changes that are happening in the natural.
So if you are ready and willing to journey with Christians around the world for Lent, start getting ready mentally, physically and spiritually. On Ash Wednesday (February 22), our journey will commence and our Lenten journey will end on Resurrection Sunday. Remember that Sundays are not included in the forty days because the early church considered Sunday as a day of feasting and celebration to remember the work Christ did on Calvary. You may however fast straight through the Sundays, which is fine. If you have any questions, please feel free to contac me at lent@lbcw.org, or contact any minister at info@lbcw.org.
I am looking forward to the radical change that will take place in our lives and I am glad that we can share this holy experience together!
Enjoy the many blessings of the day!
Rev. Alessandra Thompson
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Lent includes a few distinct periods:
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent (this year, March 9). Traditionally, this is a day of fasting; some Christians participate in a service where they are marked on the forehead with ashes as a sign of repentance (and also a reminder that we are sealed in Christ, Revelation 14:1).
The five weeks of Lent are a time for us to consider our need for a savior. Many Christians participate in some form of fasting and giving (see the Significant Sacrifice insert in today’s bulletin for one way you might do this, to benefit Lifewater International).
Holy Week is our annual remembrance of the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. It includes Palm Sunday (celebrating Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem), Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper, and Jesus’ new commandment [mandatum in Latin] to love one another), Good Friday (the crucifixion and death of Jesus), and Holy Saturday (a day of quiet when Jesus lay in the tomb). Holy Week ends with Easter, our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection!
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| | 3150 Middletown Road, Waldorf MD 20603 |
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