The 40 days leading to Easter are possibly one of the most marked events in the Christian Calendar and through the Centuries Christians have celebrated it in many ways. The season of lent is based on the 40 days that Jesus sent by the Holy Spirit into the desert to fast and pray and to engage in Spiritual warfare with the Devil. The Early church and especially early monastic movements saw this as a key time of spiritual warfare and gave themselves intensely to prayer and fasting for Evangelistic as well as other forms of breakthrough. The stories accounted by Bede of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne on how he would wage war in Lentide against the Demon hordes are wonderful reading. Here it is in pdf for free. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bede/history.pdf
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.1.
Lent has traditionally been marked by 4 areas of spiritual discipline.
Penitence: Ash Wednesday has traditionally literally been marked by the burning of the previous Easters palm crosses to make ashes. These ashes are then placed on the head of the penitent believer as they confess their sins in repentance towards God. ELnt is a time of inner reflection and allowing the Holy Spirit to access the deepest area of our lives and causing us to say Lord Have Mercy Christi Have Mercy Lord Have Mercy.
Prayer: Many at this time would engage in extra prayer and I have to confess that for me, far and away the best liturgical tool is Common Worship of the Church of England. Using this you can keep up to 4 offices a day, regular pauses with God to reflect and invitie him into your day. It comprises of many different forms of prayer from Lectio Divina, prayer of examen at Compline, extempore prayer and intercessions at all four offices, as well as guided reading of scripture and recitation of the Psalms. The day begins with the Benedictus the prayer of Zecharaiah and the evening with the Magnificat the prayer of Mary, camping points of promise every day. There are also spaces within each office to practice the presence of God in just waiting for his presence in silence a wonderful discipline to embrace. Liturgical prayer is a wonderful antidote to shopping list praying. Anyhow it exists as an Iphone and andoird app, as well as being available on line here is the link. http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer.aspx
Self Denial/ Fasting.
Denying our deepest desires to embrace the presence of god is a discipline that reaps enormous rewards. Human motives are very mixed in Fasting. Many do it to lose weight or because they think it curries favour with God. No fasting is simply denial of legitimate desire because you have a greater desire to seek first the kingdom of God. So how does it work in Lent normally on shrove Tuesday we clear all the temptation out of the house by having a bit of a feast hence the tradition of pancakes! Then Ash Wednesday the fasting begins it may be food, it may be TV, Alcohol, social media a whole host of things but generally. The aim is to fast so you have more time for God. You let go of things to embrace others.
Lastly Almsgiving.
I generally observe that this is the area most neglected. Yet it is central to Lent that we remember the poor. In 2013 in Derby many many are in poverty and the prophet Isaiah had a lot to say about fasting, and especially in relation to justice and the poor.
58 :1 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator [180] shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
13 If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs;
14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.2
This Lent I would really encourage you to embrace this area of Christian Discipline, the area of Almsgiving, and here is a great tool to help you from the Church Urban Fund.
References:
1. Harper Bibles (2011-11-22). NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha (Kindle Locations 57469-57484). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
2. Harper Bibles (2011-11-22). NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha (Kindle Locations 33617-33632). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
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