The season of Lent and what it means for the Church

I have come up with a few different ideas of topics to blog about here and I have decided to write one of them on doctrine/church practice/teachings on the Scriptures. I know, this is an extremely broad topic, but one that I feel gives me some freedom to work with to bring you some various posts and topics to discuss. As the title of this post indicates, this post will be on Lent. Most of (if not 95% of) what follows will be taken from an Ash Wednesday Homily given by Ross Guthrie a few years ago at Christ Community Church in Jackson, TN. Since attending CCC I have come to love following the Liturgical Calendar and using it to study through the life of Christ and have also learned quite a bit about what I used to think were some very odd practices.

So, why do some Believers observe Ash Wednesday & Lent? What is the purpose of the ashes & Lent? What is the historical significance of Lent in relation to the Church? Ross put it this way:
"Very soon after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the church began using the forty days of Lent to prepare themselves for the celebration of Easter or Resurrection Sunday. They baptized new converts on Easter Sunday and the forty days of Lent were to teach the basics of the faith and prepare the candidates for their new life of following Jesus. During this time of preparation, many baptized members already in the church began to make this journey with these new converts and devoted themselves anew to Christ. So, they started the Lenten season by reminding themselves of their mortality, that they would truly die and return to the dust of the earth. That’s what ashes do. They are a sign of our mortality. So, by being marked with ashes, we face the truth that we will die and we acknowledge that we have no other hope in that day other than Jesus Christ to rescue us from death and destruction. Ashes have a strong, solid biblical base beginning in Genesis with Adam being created from the dust and Abraham acknowledging that he is merely dust and ashes when talking with God. They are used in mourning throughout the Old Testament and Jesus even acknowledged their use in Matthew."

Just as Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, Lent is a 40 day journey of fasting and praying. It is a journey of denying oneself of something so that they might reflect not only on their own mortality, but on their lives in Christ. During this time leading up to Easter, biblical study is focused primarily on Jesus' temptation in the wilderness and His journey toward the Cross. This is the purpose of Lent. This is why some Believers observe this season. It is one that offers the opportunity to turn once again to Christ and follow along with Him on his journey from the Transfiguration to the Cross to His bodily resurrection.

If you are interested in reading Ross' Homily in its entirety, click here.