A Lenten Catechism
Sermon
Cross Purposes
Sermons for Lent and Holy Week
What is Lent?
Lent is a period of forty days set aside by the universal church as a period of repentance for spiritual preparation for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday, the traditional day of repentance, and continues until Easter. Sundays are not counted as a part of Lent. The word, Lent, comes from lenchthen, for the days are lengthening as Spring approaches.
When did Lent begin?
As early as 200 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, Christians began to set aside forty hours before Easter to fast as preparation for the feast of Easter. Later, the time was extended to seven days, known as Holy Week. By A.D. 325 the church officially set aside forty days before Easter as a season of repentance and special spiritual devotions.
Why do Christians observe Lent?
Christians voluntarily observe Lent as the spiritual emphasis season of the year. The key word is "repentance," meaning a change of mind, a turning about from Satan to God, a radical reorientation of one's personal life. Lent is observed because it is an opportunity to share in the passion of Christ; it is walking to Jerusalem to suffer and die with him. Lent gives us an opportunity to practice self-denial, the bringing of one's self under strict control to be a better disciple of Christ. Lent brings us closer to Christ by concentrating upon the cross, what led to it, and what its deeper meanings are. Lent is observed because there cannot be a true and meaningful Easter without Lent. If there is no cross, there can be no crown. If there is no dying in Christ, there can be no rising with him. Lent is observed because it calls for a closer walk with God and a deeper relationship with Christ through the cross.
Why fast during Lent?
Fasting is an ancient and biblical practice of denying self for spiritual discipline. It means saying "No" to yourself. You may fast on food, drink, or pleasure. The money saved by such fasting is given to the extension of God's Kingdom through the church or charity. To truly fast, you must give up something that is very precious to you, that would be a sacrifice to give up. Think of what would be most difficult for you to give up for forty days for Jesus' sake. Then make it your sacrifice to God as Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins. Fasting calls for self-discipline, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. Out of this period of fasting, you emerge stronger in faith and closer to Christ.
What is the theme of Lent?
During Lent we look at the cross. We go up to Jerusalem with Jesus where he suffers and dies. We relive the tragedy of his last days and we share the experience of his agony of soul in Gethsemane. We shudder as we stand at the cross wiih his loyal few. To share in this experience, we attend special Lenten services, practice special Lenten devotions at home, increase our daily Bible reading, and give more time for prayer, meditation, and reflection. As we keep the cross before our eyes for forty days, we come to Easter with a new appreciation of God's love for us in Christ.
What is the mood of Lent?
The color of Lent is violet or purple, the color of repentance and meditation. It depicts the mood of Lent. The season would have us be somber and solemn. It is a serious time because our dear Lord is being tried, condemned, and murdered. This should fill us with horror and shame, for we, too, share in this tragedy by our own sins. When your best friend is suffering and dying, especially in your behalf, it is not a time of lightheartedness, frivolity, or pleasure.
Why is Lent a serious time?
Lent is the most serious time of the church year. It is a time of questioning. Life or death questions are asked of Jesus as he gets closer to the cross: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? Is there a resurrection? What is the greatest commandment? Who is the Christ? It is also a time of testing. Judas is tested and found wanting. Peter is tested for loyalty. Jesus' obedience to God is tested in Gethsemane. Lent is a time of tears, too. Judas was filled with remorse for his betrayal. Peter wept bitterly after his denial of his Lord. In sympathy, women wept for Jesus as he carried the cross to Calvary. Above all, Lent is a time of dying. It is a time for being nailed to a tree, for having a crown of thorns put on his head, for the agony of thirst, for the desolation of loneliness, and for a spear in his side. This is a time that tries a man's soul.
What is the good of Lent?
Lent produces great fruit for the one who strictly observes it. It means great happiness resulting from living close to God during the forty days. Through extra Bible reading, prayer, and worship, Lent leaves us with a deeper faith. Because we fasted and denied ourselves, we have a new appreciation for the sufferings of Jesus. Out of this fresh realization of what Christ endured and suffered for us, we have a new and deeper appreciation of him and what he did for us. This results in gratitude, which motivates us to take up our cross daily and follow him in loving service to our neighbor. Then Easter comes in all its glory, and we share in the victory of the Resurrection because we, too, have risen out of death to life in Christ.
How do you get the good out of Lent?
Begin on Ash Wednesday with a program of spiritual development. This means taking ten minutes each morning and evening for a tryst with God. Spend the time thinking, meditating, praying, and reading the Word. Before Lent begins, decide on what you will fast and stick to it through Good Friday. Climax the season by offering your sacrifices to God in a monetary equivalent on the day of Jesus' supreme sacrifice, Good Friday. Do not be content to worship as usual during Lent, but attend a Lenten service during the week. Practice the presence of Christ in your daily life: in school, in office, or at home. Since Christ died for all men, reach out each week to someone not attending a church and invite at least one to go to church with you. There will probably not be time in your already busy life to add these additional practices. It means you will have to think through the priorities of your life, and drop those things that are least important in your life. Can there be anything more important than your relationship with God in Christ?
Daily Prayers Before The Cross
In Jesus' day, it was the custom among faithful Jews to pray three times each day. No doubt, Jesus did the same. As followers of Christ, can we do less, especially during Lent? Begin Lent with the practice of praying morning, noon, and night. The following prayers may help you.
Morning
Lord Jesus, who died for us upon the cross in order that we might find rest for our souls; grant, we beseech thee, that we may gather at thy cross and be the discipies of thy cross. Enter into all who open their hearts to thee and let all who seek thee find thee. Be not silent to the cares of those who desire thee, and comfort us all with thy succor. Thou, Lord, art our life, and for thee would we live, today and forevermore. Amen.
- Hermann Bezzel
Noon
O Lord Jesus Christ, our merciful and loving Savior, who didst bear thy cross for us, help us to take up our cross daily and follow thee. O thou who wast lifted up for us, draw us unto thee, that we may love thee better for thy great love to us. Lord, we love thee; help thou our want of love. O heavenly Father, make us to bear in our bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus by a pure and holy life. O Savior of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, save us and help us, we hu'mbly beeseech thee, O Lord, both now and evermore. Amen.
- Edward M. Goulburn
Evening
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst give thine only begotten Son to die for us sinners in order that we might have peace with thee: I praise thee and magnify thy loving kindness and mercy. I beseech thee, O Lord, ever to remember his all-sufficient sacrifice, to impute his merit to me and all Christians, graciously to preserve us in thy peace, and finally to bring me, and all believers, to thine eternal peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- Dieffenbach and Mueller
Lent is a period of forty days set aside by the universal church as a period of repentance for spiritual preparation for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday, the traditional day of repentance, and continues until Easter. Sundays are not counted as a part of Lent. The word, Lent, comes from lenchthen, for the days are lengthening as Spring approaches.
When did Lent begin?
As early as 200 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, Christians began to set aside forty hours before Easter to fast as preparation for the feast of Easter. Later, the time was extended to seven days, known as Holy Week. By A.D. 325 the church officially set aside forty days before Easter as a season of repentance and special spiritual devotions.
Why do Christians observe Lent?
Christians voluntarily observe Lent as the spiritual emphasis season of the year. The key word is "repentance," meaning a change of mind, a turning about from Satan to God, a radical reorientation of one's personal life. Lent is observed because it is an opportunity to share in the passion of Christ; it is walking to Jerusalem to suffer and die with him. Lent gives us an opportunity to practice self-denial, the bringing of one's self under strict control to be a better disciple of Christ. Lent brings us closer to Christ by concentrating upon the cross, what led to it, and what its deeper meanings are. Lent is observed because there cannot be a true and meaningful Easter without Lent. If there is no cross, there can be no crown. If there is no dying in Christ, there can be no rising with him. Lent is observed because it calls for a closer walk with God and a deeper relationship with Christ through the cross.
Why fast during Lent?
Fasting is an ancient and biblical practice of denying self for spiritual discipline. It means saying "No" to yourself. You may fast on food, drink, or pleasure. The money saved by such fasting is given to the extension of God's Kingdom through the church or charity. To truly fast, you must give up something that is very precious to you, that would be a sacrifice to give up. Think of what would be most difficult for you to give up for forty days for Jesus' sake. Then make it your sacrifice to God as Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins. Fasting calls for self-discipline, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. Out of this period of fasting, you emerge stronger in faith and closer to Christ.
What is the theme of Lent?
During Lent we look at the cross. We go up to Jerusalem with Jesus where he suffers and dies. We relive the tragedy of his last days and we share the experience of his agony of soul in Gethsemane. We shudder as we stand at the cross wiih his loyal few. To share in this experience, we attend special Lenten services, practice special Lenten devotions at home, increase our daily Bible reading, and give more time for prayer, meditation, and reflection. As we keep the cross before our eyes for forty days, we come to Easter with a new appreciation of God's love for us in Christ.
What is the mood of Lent?
The color of Lent is violet or purple, the color of repentance and meditation. It depicts the mood of Lent. The season would have us be somber and solemn. It is a serious time because our dear Lord is being tried, condemned, and murdered. This should fill us with horror and shame, for we, too, share in this tragedy by our own sins. When your best friend is suffering and dying, especially in your behalf, it is not a time of lightheartedness, frivolity, or pleasure.
Why is Lent a serious time?
Lent is the most serious time of the church year. It is a time of questioning. Life or death questions are asked of Jesus as he gets closer to the cross: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? Is there a resurrection? What is the greatest commandment? Who is the Christ? It is also a time of testing. Judas is tested and found wanting. Peter is tested for loyalty. Jesus' obedience to God is tested in Gethsemane. Lent is a time of tears, too. Judas was filled with remorse for his betrayal. Peter wept bitterly after his denial of his Lord. In sympathy, women wept for Jesus as he carried the cross to Calvary. Above all, Lent is a time of dying. It is a time for being nailed to a tree, for having a crown of thorns put on his head, for the agony of thirst, for the desolation of loneliness, and for a spear in his side. This is a time that tries a man's soul.
What is the good of Lent?
Lent produces great fruit for the one who strictly observes it. It means great happiness resulting from living close to God during the forty days. Through extra Bible reading, prayer, and worship, Lent leaves us with a deeper faith. Because we fasted and denied ourselves, we have a new appreciation for the sufferings of Jesus. Out of this fresh realization of what Christ endured and suffered for us, we have a new and deeper appreciation of him and what he did for us. This results in gratitude, which motivates us to take up our cross daily and follow him in loving service to our neighbor. Then Easter comes in all its glory, and we share in the victory of the Resurrection because we, too, have risen out of death to life in Christ.
How do you get the good out of Lent?
Begin on Ash Wednesday with a program of spiritual development. This means taking ten minutes each morning and evening for a tryst with God. Spend the time thinking, meditating, praying, and reading the Word. Before Lent begins, decide on what you will fast and stick to it through Good Friday. Climax the season by offering your sacrifices to God in a monetary equivalent on the day of Jesus' supreme sacrifice, Good Friday. Do not be content to worship as usual during Lent, but attend a Lenten service during the week. Practice the presence of Christ in your daily life: in school, in office, or at home. Since Christ died for all men, reach out each week to someone not attending a church and invite at least one to go to church with you. There will probably not be time in your already busy life to add these additional practices. It means you will have to think through the priorities of your life, and drop those things that are least important in your life. Can there be anything more important than your relationship with God in Christ?
Daily Prayers Before The Cross
In Jesus' day, it was the custom among faithful Jews to pray three times each day. No doubt, Jesus did the same. As followers of Christ, can we do less, especially during Lent? Begin Lent with the practice of praying morning, noon, and night. The following prayers may help you.
Morning
Lord Jesus, who died for us upon the cross in order that we might find rest for our souls; grant, we beseech thee, that we may gather at thy cross and be the discipies of thy cross. Enter into all who open their hearts to thee and let all who seek thee find thee. Be not silent to the cares of those who desire thee, and comfort us all with thy succor. Thou, Lord, art our life, and for thee would we live, today and forevermore. Amen.
- Hermann Bezzel
Noon
O Lord Jesus Christ, our merciful and loving Savior, who didst bear thy cross for us, help us to take up our cross daily and follow thee. O thou who wast lifted up for us, draw us unto thee, that we may love thee better for thy great love to us. Lord, we love thee; help thou our want of love. O heavenly Father, make us to bear in our bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus by a pure and holy life. O Savior of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, save us and help us, we hu'mbly beeseech thee, O Lord, both now and evermore. Amen.
- Edward M. Goulburn
Evening
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst give thine only begotten Son to die for us sinners in order that we might have peace with thee: I praise thee and magnify thy loving kindness and mercy. I beseech thee, O Lord, ever to remember his all-sufficient sacrifice, to impute his merit to me and all Christians, graciously to preserve us in thy peace, and finally to bring me, and all believers, to thine eternal peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- Dieffenbach and Mueller
