The season of Lent, whatever your doctrinal or denominational persuasion, has a valuable basis. Think of Advent, leading up to Christmas, how the anticipation builds. Lent, leading up to Easter, can be utilized to build appreciation. We have seven weeks, between Ash Wednesday and Easter, to prepare our hearts to fully appreciate the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Seven weeks to contemplate the unspeakable gift of grace.
Lent, or Lenten - from an Old English word meaning "to lengthen". And along with the lengthening days, and burgeoning flowers, our hearts can also be enlarged to love the Risen Lord with greater understanding and budding affection and increasing appreciation. Lent is meant to be a contemplative season, even a sober season for some, but it should not be introspective. After all, the whole reason for the Easter celebration is the resurrection miracle that once and for all time freed us from the penalty of sin. All the introspection you can muster, in a lifetime of self-knowledge and self discipline, carries no hope of making you one whit holier. God is pleased with Christ Alone. He is the Better Hope.
Take seven weeks to consider the merits of Christ. Take seven weeks to lengthen your cords by adding to your knowledge of Scripture; take seven weeks to strengthen your stakes by driving them deeper into the doctrines of grace. So shall the tent of your innermost being be enlarged. So shall you be prepared for Personal Pentecost.
3 comments:
THANK YOU, b'loved Sheilamae, for these 'several' Lenten confessays/ ponderments... they HELP me focus and understand. My 'faith tradition' did not include the Lenten observance, and I *so* love your understanding and explanation of it... I'm going to 'apply' it to my own/ our own 'leading up to Easter'.
Oh...thank you! I'll be posting more in the days to come. I love you!
Thank you! A season to prepare your heart to marvel at the wonderful work of the cross!
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