Lent: The Reason for the Season



I remember being so fascinated to learn in nursing school about the built-in 24 hour program our bodies cycle through every day called the “circadian rhythm”. Our bodies are designed to wake in the morning, put in a day, then spend the night refreshing in order to do it all over again. It’s very complex and involves hormones, glands, chemicals and requires periods of dark and light at certain times, so our bodies are also tied in to the natural rhythms of the earth and sun. The beauty of it is that we have a fresh start each day. 

We also cycle weekly;  six days of work followed by a Sabbath day of rest to start the new week. The moon waxes and wanes monthly - and affects ocean tides, seasons, and growth. 

 

Nature’s seasons cycle annually; verdant summers of growth, cool autumns for harvest, cold dark winters to rest, and bursting new growth when the earth warms in springtime. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “there is a season for everything, and a purpose for everything under heaven”. 

 

And so it is with God’s plan for our spiritual lives: when we accept the gift of His Son’s sacrifice for us, we are new creatures. Our sinful natures still stumble, but with each confession,  we receive forgiveness and grace. 

 

Several hundred years A.D., formal church observations started falling in place; Advent, Easter and others. The liturgical year has developed, during which we observe events in the life of Christ every 12 months.

 

Lent is loosely based on Jesus’s 40 days of fasting in the desert; so understandably, it has been associated with sacrificing and “giving up” to show devotion and commitment to God.

 

Our roots are in the Reformed faith, so as we cycle through this time each year, we focus on developing deeper relationships with God, and preparing our hearts and minds to receive the blessing and joy of Easter.

 

When you go to sleep tonight - consider giving your rest time to God, and asking Him to refresh you for the new day.

 

When you wake tomorrow, consider giving your day to God and asking Him to reveal Himself to you in a fresh new way. 

 

Ecclesiastes 3:11a: He makes  everything beautiful in its time. 

 

“All Things Bright and Beautiful” is about this passage from Ecclesiastes - it’s #20 in our purple hymnal - it praises God for the many wonderful things He created; verses include:

“The cold wind in the winter,

the pleasant summer sun,

the ripe fruits in the garden,

God made them every one.

 

God gave us eyes to see them,

and lips that we might tell

how great is God Almighty,

who has made all things well.”


Joy Christian

Comments

  1. Beth ChristianFebruary 24, 2021 at 8:43 AM

    Thank you Joy, I love the suggestion to commit my rest and daytime with eke both to God.

    ReplyDelete

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