News you can use
News you can use
Van Orsdel United Methodist Church is hosting this year's Havre community lenten luncheons. Two of the five have already taken place: Feb. 25 and March 4. We have three more to go: March 11, 18 and 25. These take place Thursdays at noon. All are invited to attend. These luncheons feature soups and sandwiches provided by a different church each Thursday, along with a devotional thought from a person who regularly attends the church providing the food. Attendees are instructed to please use the south door of the church. Thank you. Now for a little bit more about Lent, from CrossWalk.com:
"Lent's 40 Days Period Starts with Ash Wednesday. Every year, Ash Wednesday denotes the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ's time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ's life, ministry, sacrifice and resurrection.
"Lent in 2021: The Lenten season began with Ash Wednesday Feb.17; if you are following the 40 days tradition, Lent ends Holy Saturday, April 3.
"However, in the Catholic tradition the 'General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar,' was updated in 1969 to say: 'Lent runs from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord's Supper exclusive.' The Mass of the Lord's Supper for Catholics is on Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, which is April 1. For those adhering to that tradition, Lent will end Thursday, April 1st.
"The History of Lent - So where does Lent come from, and how do we 'do' Lent? The Lenten season developed as part of the historical Christian calendar and is typically celebrated by Catholics and some mainline Protestant churches that follow a liturgical calendar. Although its format has varied throughout the centuries and throughout different cultures, the basic concept remains the same: to open our hearts to God's refining grace through prayer, confession, fasting, and almsgiving as we anticipate Holy Week. Lent traditionally lasts forty days, modeled after Christ's forty-day fast in the desert, and ends on Good Friday. In the Western Church, Lent officially begins with a reminder of our mortality on Ash Wednesday (this year, falling on Feb.17).
"Practicing Lent Today - As with Advent, you can benefit from celebrating Lent even if your church does not formally do so. Here are some of the key elements of the Lenten season, along with some of the symbolism that comes with it. Many of these practices can be celebrated both individually and as a community:
"Purple: Like Advent, the official color for Lent is purple. Usually, churches that celebrate Lent choose the deepest, darkest shade of purple for this special season. They may also strip their churches bare of some of the usual decorations adorning the walls. Purple is the color of repentance for sins and also symbolizes the state of our souls outside the light of Christ. During this time, pray for those who do not know Christ and for those who have sinned gravely against Him.
"Confession: As mentioned above, Lent is a penitential season, even more so than Advent. The 40 days are set aside to really examine areas of recurring sin in our lives that prevent us from being conformed to God's Will. Keep in mind the idea here is not to be overly scrupulous or to deceive yourself into thinking you can earn heaven through your own goodness. The goal is to honestly examine your life in light of God's Word and to make a commitment to change in any areas you have not submitted to the Lord. A good way to start an examination of conscience is by praying Psalm 139, verse 23-24: 'Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' Then, hold up your life to the Ten Commandments. Confess, perhaps even to your pastor or an accountability partner (James 5:16), the ways you've sinned against God, thank Him for His forgiveness, and ask Him for the grace to change.
"Fasting and Prayer: Fasting is a practice that has really gone by the wayside in many Christian circles. Yet, if done correctly, it can be a powerful time of renewing your relationship with God. Fasting can be found in both the Old Testament and the New, with Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9,18 ), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and our Lord (Matthew 4:2) all participating in 40-day fasts. Fasting is a way of denying ourselves the excesses of life so that we might be more attuned to the Lord's voice. It is also a way of disciplining yourself, strengthening your 'spiritual muscles' so to speak so that when temptations arise in life, you are already used to saying 'no' to your desires. And finally, fasting is also a way of participating, in a small way, in the sufferings of Christ and can be particularly powerful when accompanied by prayer and confession. A word of caution: although fasting can be a wonderful spiritual exercise, it is also an easy one to abuse. Make sure that when you fast, you do not deprive yourself so much that you do harm to your body. Fasting should only be practiced by adults and mature teens. Also, take into account any medical conditions or nutritional needs when deciding what and how much to abstain from (I recommend consulting with a doctor and/or spiritual advisor before undertaking a serious fast). On the spiritual front, Jesus warns us to guard against pride while fasting (Matthew 6:1-6, Matt 6:16-18).
"Meditating on Christ's Sacrifice for Mankind: In addition to periodic fasting and prayer, our scriptural meditations typically turn to the salvation offered to us through Christ's suffering. Read Old Testament Scriptures prophesying the suffering of Christ and the New Testament Gospel accounts.
"Charity/Almsgiving: A very important element of the Lenten season is becoming aware of not only the suffering and sacrifice of Christ but also to the suffering of others. Between now and Good Friday, choose one way you can increase your giving to those in need. It could be through extra financial offerings, donating goods you no longer need or use to charity, or increasing your personal time commitment to a ministry or cause close to your heart.
"Lent is a time when Christians separate from the world; when we find out our faith is not just a feel-good, self-help religion but one that answers the deepest questions of life and eternity. Those who journey through the Lenten season will enter the Easter season with an increased appreciation for who God is and what He has done for us. And the joy of Resurrection, as well as the promises of eternity, will not be soon forgotten."
Again, I want to close my article with an invitation for each of you to come join in with us at these Lenten Luncheons, so that together we may contemplate all that Jesus did for us on Calvary's Cross, and respond be living our lives in such a way as to give God glory and profoundly honor the people around us every day. Amen!
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The first and last paragraphs were written by:
The Rev. Edroy "Curt" Curtis; president of the Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association; Northern Montana Care Center chaplain; and lead pastor of Havre Assembly of God Church
The majority of this article is composed of excerpts taken from CrossWalk.com.
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