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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Love One Another

Image
  "Love one another as I have loved you." John 13:34 Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is derived from the Latin word "mandatum" meaning "command." Towards the end of the Last Supper, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment, to "love one another as I have loved you."   When I reflect on how I have loved others, I feel convicted to admit that I gravitate toward what comes naturally and is convenient. For me it is sending cards of encouragement and support. For others, their go-to gesture of love might be making a meal or sending flowers. It is wonderful when we can share our time and talents to love others, but I would challenge us to contemplate how we can do a better job loving others.  Our agenda, responsibilities, and needs often interfere or take precedence. We often show acts of kindness when it is convenient and fits our schedule. It is easier to extend gestures of love to a friend, but not as easy when the person in need isn't someo...
Read more

Good Trouble

Image
  J eremiah 23: 16-32 16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17They keep saying to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to all who stubbornly follow their own stubborn hearts, they say, ‘No calamity shall come upon you.’ 18 For who has stood in the council of the Lord   so as to see and to hear his word?   Who has given heed to his word so as to proclaim it? 19 Look, the storm of the Lord!   Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest;   it will burst upon the head of the wicked. 20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back   until he has executed and accomplished   the intents of his mind. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send the prophets,   yet they ran; I did not speak to them,   yet they ...
Read more

Dinner Conversations

Image
Every night at the dinner table, our family takes turns telling each other what we’re thankful for from the day. It never fails that one of our kids shares that they’re thankful for a good dinner, even if they struggled to get all of it down. While the practice can seem mundane and routine, our hope is that one day, the practice of gratitude that we’ve engrained in them (and ourselves) will help us on the days where it seems the world has nothing in it for which to be grateful. Maybe we can consider it practice for those coming moments of despair-that there is still some blessing that deserves our gratitude. Isn’t that what Jesus calls us to do? We are called in so many ways to reflect on the abundant blessings of God. Consider this passage from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:     Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,  for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.   This directive is strong-no matter what is happening-be joyful, pray, give ...
Read more