EDITOR'S NOTE: Since becoming the clergy leader at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn., in November 2017, I've written a monthly column for our church newsletter. This column originally published in the March 2019 FLC Newsletter.
The season of Lent is upon us. In a short while, we’ll begin with Ash Wednesday, and march toward Easter in late April.
The season of Lent is both a somber and joyful time, as we set aside 40 days to reflect upon the same amount of time that Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
This past weekend, on a late February Saturday, I couldn’t help but think of the symbolism this late winter holds for us this Lenten season. I was up on the roof of my house, tending to some maintenance. And on a semi-mild day -- we reached 25 degrees! -- I figured I’d better get off some of the thickly piled snow on my house roof. Unfortunately, it’s something that I had left for far too long, and we all know the importance of clearing snow from our roofs in these parts.
So, I dug out my trusty snow rake and got to work, but just 15 minutes into the chore, I realized that I wasn’t making a dent in the snow pact up there. I threw the rake up and drug off piles of snow, and … it didn’t make a bit of difference! There was just too much snow up there. So I realized that I was going to have to get up there on the roof and get more directly involved.
Next, I dug out my trusty extension ladder, and climbed up there, despite the fact that I have no great love for heights. But, it was necessary work, I told myself, and I could stave off some serious damage to our roof in the spring. So, up I went.
Once on the roof, I got to work with my shovel and pushed off the huge piles of snow. I soon realized that it was at least 3 feet deep, possibly more, all across the roof! And that’s when it hit me that I was in for a long, long day of work. I dare say that had I known at that moment just how long of a day, I probably would have climbed right down that ladder and called it a day.
But I didn’t know, and so I kept at the work. Hour after hour past, and it seemed that I wasn’t making any progress. Shovel and throw. Shovel and throw. And then drive with the shovel like a plow. And shovel and throw some more. I worked steadily and even after several hours realized I wasn’t but half done with the roof. To say that I was demoralized, is an understatement.
To keep my spirits up, I started to think about Lent and this long winter that we are experiencing, a harsh winter of which we haven’t been accustomed to in quite some time. During Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, he too encountered dark times, times that must have seemed impossible. While we know that he was tested, and didn’t give into the temptations, it didn’t mean the entire experience was pleasant.
As I said above, Lent is a somber time, both because it is a time to reflect on Jesus’ crucifixion, but at the same time, it reminds us that at the end of those 40 days, there is Easter, the day that Jesus rose from his tomb.
What sustained me on that roof that day -- a chore that ultimately took 7 hours! -- was the thought that as challenging as this winter has been, there is also joy of spring on the other side. Trust me, it was difficult to believe on that day, as I was soaking wet from sweat and melting snow, cold and shivering, physically exhausted from moving thousands and thousands of pounds of snow, to believe that spring is coming. I had to keep reminding myself that winter is a season and it will pass, no matter how long it keeps its icy grip on us this particular year.
And, just as we begin Lent with a somber celebration in Ash Wednesday and we attend additional Lenten services to help us focus our attention on Jesus’ trials, and ultimately his crucifixion, we are reminded that at the end of those somber and reflective services is Easter, our most joyful day of the Christian calendar.
So, as I sit to write this for the newsletter, and we have just ridden out another blizzard, I am reminded that spring is coming. It will come, regardless of how long winter takes. And, I am also reminded that Easter is coming as well. And it was that joyful thought that kept me plugging along on that Saturday, clearing hundreds of square feet of snow from our roof.
Take heart, my winter-weary faith family: Spring is coming; Easter is coming; and Jesus will rise!
Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
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