Lent

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The following is not a "Bible Study" but it might be interesting for you to look at for the first days of Lent



1. The number of days between Ash Wednesday and Easter: a. fifty; b. forty; c. forty-six; d. thirty-nine


2. Lent comes from an Anglo-Saxon word lencten which means: a. spring because that is the season of the year b. light because Jesus is light of the world c. literally "lent" because Jesus was lent to the world in order to save us.

3. The number of lashes Jesus received: a. fifty; b. forty; c. forty-six; d. thirty-nine

4. The latest date on which Easter can fall is: a. April 15 b. April 22 c. April 25 d. April 26

5. The earliest date on which Easter can fall is: a. March 14; b. March 22; c. March 23; d. March 25

6. Easter comes from a word meaning: a. the name of a pagan goddess of spring; b. the name of a spring festival c. the season of spring d. an early English word, Eastre e. a German word eastarun f. dawn


7. The traditional number of hours between the death of Jesus and his resurrection: a. fifty; b. forty; c. forty-six; d. thirty-nine

8. The number of days between Easter and Pentecost: a. fifty; b. forty; c. forty-six; d. thirty-nine


9. Easter is determined by: a. the fullness of the moon b. the equinox c. neither the full moon or the equinox


10. In the early church, Easter was a time for: a. fasting b. repentance c. preparing for baptism


11. The first day of Lent is: a. Mardi gras b. Shrove Tuesday c. Ash Wednesday d. Maundy Thursday e. Palm Sunday

12. We remember the last supper of Jesus on a. Mardi gras b. Shrove Tuesday c. Ash Wednesday d. Maundy Thursday e. Palm Sunday


13. Ash Wednesday gets its name from a. the cross that may be drawn in ashes on the forehead of Christian penitents b. the ashes from the incense burned in early churches c. because of the ashes from the burning of Rome which started a great persecution of the Christians


14. A common practice for Christians during Lent is: a. fasting b. spiritual disciplines c. penitence d. prayer e. all of the above


15. The number of Sundays during Lent: a. 5; b. 6; c. 7


One of the challenges for today's Christian is to find ways to make Lent more meaningful. I don't think it's a popular challenge because we are a society of pleasure and instant gratification. We don't want to put the hard work into the spirituality that would make Lent more meaningful.

But this is not a new discussion. People have struggled for years about what makes a true and meaningful lent. Robert Herrick lived in the seventeenth century.  His poem shows that he was thinking about the same issue.

Even if all Christian churches required certain activities of their members in this season, it wouldn't solve the problem. Because every activity, whether it be fasting, or prayer, or church attendance or anything else...every one of them can be turned into ritual in which the form is observed, but not the spirit.


Robert Herrick wrote:  TO KEEP A TRUE LENT


Is this a Fast, to keep
The larder lean,
And clean
From fat of veals and sheep?


Is it to quit the dish
Of flesh, yet still
To fill
The platter high with fish?


Is it to fast an hour,
Or ragg'd to go,
Or show
A downcast look and sour?


No: 'is a Fast to dole
Thy sheaf of wheat
And meat,
Unto the hungry soul.

It is to fast from strife
From old debate
And hate;
To circumcise thy life


To show a heart grief-rent;
To starve thy sin,
Not bin;
And that's to keep thy Lent.


Keep Lent in some way. It is worth the effort.