Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Milford

Introduction

We are entering the most significant season of the Christian year, the days leading up to and including the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the early days of the church, before Christians developed a liturgical calendar, the faithful gathered at sights in the Holy Land where these significant events took place. However, as the years passed and the church became more formalized, travel to places such as Golgotha and Gethsemane, became less possible. As a result, time periods such as Lent, became a means for believers to focus on the important aspects of their faith and the path of sacrifice that Jesus walked as our Savior.
First observed in the 4th century, the season of Lent covers the 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and finishing on the Saturday before Easter. Sundays are not included in Lent because they celebrate the day of the Lord’s resurrection. Originally, Lent was a time of spiritual preparation for those who were going to be baptized into the Christian community on Easter. Today, Lent is a time of prayer and preparation before celebrating Easter. Some churches follow a strict schedule of fasting and penitence during Lent, others barely recognize it at all. For many, the observance of Lent in some way becomes a means of growing closer to the Lord as His disciple. For those who use Lent as a time to focus on spiritual matters, particularly Christ’s sacrifice and the need for grace, the dawn of Easter brings an even greater reason to rejoice.
In earlier times, Lent was a somber and pensive season. People were encouraged to “give something up for Lent” as Jesus gave up His life for us. Foods such as meat, eggs and milk were removed from the diet and no lard was used in cooking. Even brightly colored clothes and games were forbidden. In order to insure adherence to this, two “pre-holy days” developed: Mardi Gras and Shrovetide. Mardi Gras literally means “fat Tuesday”. On this day, every last ounce of fat or lard was used in cooking to rid the house of it during Lent. Shrovetide is an English word derived from “shrive” and means to confess one’s sins. People were encouraged to “clean out their souls” in preparation for Lent. Another interesting side note concerning Lent is that it often coincided with the Jewish preparations for Passover, so our tradition of Spring Cleaning grew out of these simultaneous time periods.
Our Lenten devotional is designed to bring you some quiet time to ponder God’s Word in these days before Easter. The thoughts, poems and Scriptures were all chosen by the authors themselves. Take time to read these treasures and let them help point you to Jesus as you prepare for the Passion Week and Easter.