Lent

When I was a child I thought it was strange that about three months after celebrating Jesus' birthday we were talking about his death. Two "schools of thoughts" seem strange to me those congregations that don't pay attention to the Church Year and those that emphasize it to the extreme.

There are congregations in my home town that hardly mention Lent and then suddenly they tell everyone to really celebrate because it is Easter. They might as well be handing out chocolate bunnies to everyone on Easter Sunday rather than having a Communion Service.

On the flip side of this proverbial coin are the congregations that take it too far. These are the ones that fill the baptismal font with sand and dress in purple to match the paraments.

Lent is a time of releasing all the obstacles in your spiritual life. It is a time to think about all the excesses in your life and to let go of them. Lent is a time to think about your personal relationship with God and how to improve it--this also includes the relationship with God who dwells in all His children.

The more attention to pay to your spiritual life during Lent the more you will appreciate the joyous festival of Easter. If you are like those who only attend church on Christmas and Easter then you might as well go to church on Easter Sunday wearing your nice clothes and eats a pound of chocolate.

If you are on the other extreme then you will go to Church and revel in the joyous music and white paraments but don't expect to grow spiritually because all you have done is paid attention to the calendar and decorations and not your spiritual growth. Remember, religion and faith are not the same.