​Lent and Restoration

“Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.
 
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.” (BCP 264-265)
 
These are the words we hear after the sermon and before the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, words inviting us into a holy Lent. While we still often have baptisms as a part of Easter, for us in the Episcopal Church, long gone is the practice of members being separated from the body for a time and then being restored to the Church after the season of Lent. However, we are still called to spend this time of Lent renewing our repentance and faith. Among other things, we are called to self-examination, prayer, fasting, self-denial, and reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And while these are things we may do at other times of the church year; in the season of Lent, we are particularly mindful of these things as we follow Jesus in his final weeks and days to the cross.
 
I have to say, Lent has become something I truly appreciate. Growing up and even in my early adulthood I used to dread Lent, the silent procession, the solemn hymns, the whole sacrificing of something. When I spent a few years in the United Methodist Church, I was at first thrilled that the church I attended did not really celebrate Lent. The hymns were still upbeat, there wasn’t a solemn procession or the Great Litany. I still gave up something and I did try and attend an Episcopal service or two. Now, I really value the time of Lent and what it means and the time we have to reflect and repent and prepare for what lies ahead. As hard as it is for me, who loves all our upbeat and joyous hymns, I have come to appreciate the more solemn and quiet hymns and the changes in the liturgy that are intentional. I try to give up something that will truly be a sacrifice for me instead of just giving up something because I am supposed to. I try to add something to my routine that I may realize after reflection may need to become a permanent addition. I try to spend more time in prayer and study. These things we do as part of our worship, either on Sunday or our private devotions, and part of our Lenten disciplines, if we really focus on them and invest ourselves in them, it only makes the arrival of Easter and the restoration of so many wonderful things that we miss during Lent that much more joyous.