SEASON OF LENT

Stafford Greer, Lead Site Pastor

“To everything there is a season,” the writer of Ecclesiastes would write (and The Byrds would eventually turn, turn, turn into their hit song). Living in a part of the world that experiences four of them a year, they mark time, affect our lives, and teach us about ourselves: spring offers us hope of new beginnings; sowing seeds of future hope. Summer is where we work hard, cultivating the early growth from spring time planting. Autumn is a season of enjoying the fruit of our labour, evaluating results and learning from failure. Winter is a season of rest, release, and allowing the former things to die, in preparation for another spring.

While our personal lives are governed by our calendars, work responsibilities, vacation time, and family events, the church catholic (that is, the universal church throughout time), has long been governed by the church calendar - no I’m not talking about the ministry events that we plan at RockPointe Church - rather the seasons and rhythms that shape and mark our faith.

Even the most non-leturgical, or low-church, among us already follow elements of this calendar: primarily Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. However, did you know that there is more to the church calendar than just those two (significant) days?

The church calendar starts with Advent, followed by Christmas (which is different from Advent and lasts for 12 days… hence the annoying song). The next season is Epiphany, followed by Lent, which leads to Easter (which lasts for 50 days, ending on Pentecost), and then into the rest of the calendar which is called ‘ordinary time.’

Each season is there to teach us something about our faith, and it is done in a regular rhythm (because we learn best through repetition).

This coming Wednesday, February 18, we are about to enter the Lenten Season. Lent is the forty days (excluding Sundays) that Christians throughout the centuries have used to prepare their hearts for the hope found in Easter. Lent is a season where we are reminded of our mortality and dependence on God for our breath, life, and salvation; it is a dedicated season of denying ourselves, and training our bodies, heart, and mind that we are not in control. 

The day before Ash Wednesday, is Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras… Fat Tuesday), where in preparation for a season of denying ourselves, and little celebration, Christians would host a big party, and use up their fat/butter/rich food in the pantries (because they wouldn’t eat the rich, fatty foods during a season of denying themselves).

Once again, as a church, we will be marking the Lenten season with both a Shrove Tuesday meal and an Ash Wednesday service that will both be taking place at our Bowridge Site on February 17, 18, respectively. You can find out more details of these events by clicking on the “Events” tab on our website.

You might have a couple questions about this practice:

Q: This sounds pretty legalistic, aren’t we who are in Christ, free from fasting and empty religious rituals?

Absolutely! Those who are Christ are free from the need to perform empty rituals in an attempt to please God. Participating in services and church seasons like this aren’t about impressing God or doing anything to earn salvation or favour. Rather, they are practices that reinforce and teach us something about our faith and dependence on God (and honestly, practices are only empty when we make them empty because our heart isn’t in it).

Q: I’m liturgically-curious, what can I expect at an Ash Wednesday service? I’ve never been to one before.

Ash Wednesday services are usually very stripped down, more reflective, and somber. There are periods of silence, scripture reading, a shorter homily (message), and most notably, an opportunity to receive the imposition of ashes. The whole service is about 60 minutes in length.

Q: Ya, that’s the part I’m not so sure about. What are the ashes and do I have to get them marked on my head?

You’re right - having ashes in the shape of a cross marked on your forehead is pretty different from RockPointe’s regular worship services. The ashes traditionally are made from the burning of the previous year’s palm branches from the Palm Sunday service. They are a reminder of our mortality and are given with the sentence of “you are dust, and to dust you will return” (Gen 3:19). If you attend the service, feel no obligation to receive the ashes - doing so does not make you more holy than the next person. We invite everyone to attend, receiving the ashes is optional.

Q: What’s the deal with Shrove Tuesday? What can I expect? Is this family-friendly?

Shrove Tuesday is a great opportunity to eat pancakes and breakfast sausage together, celebrate God’s goodness, and have fun as a church family! It is open to everyone and there will be games and festivities for all ages. Come and enjoy a supper together. The event is come-and-go, and the meal is served throughout the evening, so you don’t have to arrive right at 5:30pm. Bring a favourite table game and make a new friend this evening!