Next week, Christians worldwide will turn their hearts and minds—and foreheads—to Ash Wednesday. People have begun pondering and discussing what their Lenten practices will be this year. Worship pastors and musicians select hymns and worship songs to ensure we have plenty of ‘alleluias’ before that word is silenced for forty days. Your weekend grocery shopping…
Fasting & Feasting in Lent
The penitential and preparatory season of Lent includes 40 days of fasting. However, if you look at the calendar closely enough and do the math, you’ll see that the actual season is a bit longer. Why? Within those 40 days, we exclude those Sundays. Sundays are feast days and cannot be fast days. These Lord’s…
Last Minute Instructions for Lent
Lent is drawing near! The word “Lent” comes from the Old English “lencten,” meaning springtime, when the days lengthen. You’ve probably already noticed that! Lent spans the 40 days, excluding Sundays, leading up to the great Paschal Feast of Easter. It is always celebrated in the Western Church on the First Sunday after the first…
Maundy Thursday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
What’s “Maundy Thursday?” Has there ever been a child who didn’t think I was saying Monday Thursday during the Holy Week announcements? Growing up, I thought today was Monday Thursday until about age 14. No one could explain why it was called Maundy Thursday when I finally learned it was Maundy rather than Monday! Friends,…
A Long Obedience In A Lenten Direction
A week before Ash Wednesday this year, I was preaching at a Christian high school to students who were learning about the season of Lent. I find excitement in sharing the basics of spiritual seasons like Lent with people who are learning about the Christian calendar for the first time. Lenten Basics As I teach…
Denise Levertov’s ‘On A Theme By Thomas Merton’
Lent with the Poets #4. Series Introduction is here. Why are some writers of faith celebrated in American Christianity while others are not? That is my question about today’s poet, Denise Levertov. Among Christians devoted to the arts, Levertov is profoundly appreciated. Yet she hasn’t received the wider acclaim and affection that many afford to Frederick…
‘Possible Answers to Prayer’ by Scott Cairns
by Jack King. Lent with the Poets Series #3. Series Introduction is here. In the first two posts of this series, I featured a few 19th-century poets whose verse addresses Lenten themes. For the third feature, I’ve chosen a current American poet, Scott Cairns, who continues to publish poetry. Cairns is an Orthodox Christian who incorporates the richness…
Ash Wednesday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Ash Wednesday initiates Lent, a period of reflection, repentance, and preparation for Easter, rooted in Jesus’ wilderness experience. Observers receive ashes as a symbol of mortality and repentance. The day emphasizes communal acknowledgment of sin and the need for God’s grace, encouraging participation through services and fasting to deepen spiritual awareness.
Good Friday and the Language of Sacrifice
Shouldn’t Good Friday be called “Bad” Friday? After all, it’s when Jesus was crucified. Radical Sin, Radical Savior It was a horrible thing that we human beings killed our creator. He came to us in lowly form, as a poor baby in a manger. He taught, he healed, he preached, he loved, he forgave. And…
Feasting in Lent
Common Misconceptions We’ve all said it. I know I have said it: “In Lent, we fast except on Sundays.” We do think that way; at least, I do. I’m focused on the fast, and I think of Sunday as an exception: a time to give up the fast so I can take a break and indulge in…
