The Season of Lent
The Season of Lent
Lent derives its name from an old Saxon word meaning to “to lengthen” and was associated with the season of spring, a time of the year when the days would begin to once again lengthen. Historically Lent has been used to remember Christ’s sufferings on our behalf and to intentionally examine our own lives for places that certain sins may have crept in. The spiritual discipline of fasting is often utilized during Lent as a way to heighten one’s spiritual sensitivity to certain sins that may be present in one’s life. As we identify with Christ’s suffering through the confession of sin, we also identify with him in his resurrection as we experience new life through his forgiveness and grace.
Throughout the history of the Church various readings from the Bible have been offered as a roadmap through Lent. Using some of these ancient lists as our guide, we have created a set of daily readings to help you walk through the season of Lent. One set is from the Old Testament and is based on the Psalms, and the other set is from the New Testament and is based on the Gospel of Matthew. There are also questions provided for each day that are intended to help you interact with each passage, and a set of reflective questions at the end of each week. Our hope is that this simple tool will help you to prepare your heart more fully for the highest day of the church year, Easter Sunday, a day when Christ’s triumph over sin and death was displayed to all creation and made available to all who place their faith in him.
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