TRANSFORMING BEAUTY

What begins with ashes, journey’s through darkness, and ends with light and hope of new life? What do 40 days, sacrifice, focus, no coffee, no restaurants equal? Lent. Deprived Delight. If you’ve been raised in a main line church or frequent one – you have heard of Lent.

Though not many evangelical churches celebrate Lent due to their lack of focus on liturgy, – however, it is rich in meaning and profound in practice.Lent is a forty-day season of preparation prior to the celebration for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. It begins after Ash Wednesday (7th Wednesday before Lent), which traditionally is a day where pastors or priests place symbolic soot on people’s foreheads to remind them that it is from dust they came and dust they will return (it's not all about pancakes). It was a positioning of humility. Not only was it recognition of the reality and consequences of sin, but the ashes became symbolic of that attitude of penitence reflected in the Lord’s prayer: “forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us”(Luke 11:4, NRSV).

During Lent Christians re encounter Jesus’ adult ministry a fresh through his suffering during Holy Week to his crucifixion and death on Good Friday. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday also called the Sunday of the Passion, and continues through Holy Thursday (when Communion was instituted at the Last Supper) and Good Friday, when Jesus was tried, crucified, and buried. This tradition originates from the fourth century is always scheduled 40 days backwards from Easter. The adherence to Lent is seen as one strips down to the essentials in life to better focus on an individual relationship with God. Though individual in practice it is corporate in celebration.

In the early church it began as a preparation time for those who were going to be baptized. Lent in English means lengthening or spring. Daylight increasing and expelling winter darkness. Also the Greek word for lent, tessarakoste, denotes the number 40.Did you ever wonder why 40 days? The number 40 is a significant number in the Bible. It’s a time of preparation – a prelude to a new season. In the Old Testament, Noah spent 40 days aboard the Ark while flood waters cleansed the earth of sinful people in preparation for a new beginning (Gen 6:3,13), Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai talking with God to establish a new covenant with His people (Ex 24:18), and the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert before entering the promise land (Deut 8:2,4). In the New Testament, Jesus spent 40 days being testing is the desert in preparation for His earthly ministry.I think Jesus’ 40 days in the desert are more closely linked to the spirit of Lent that I ever knew. The journey of breaking out of the darkness of sin into the enlightenment and freedom of salvation in Christ. Jesus immediately was led by the spirit of God to the desert after being baptized. (Mark 1:8-14) There He was tempted by Satan himself. Everything Jesus was tempted with was essentially good – in the right hands, with the right focus, and the right heart. However, the way Satan twisted truth made it a temptation to put material things above God, to put power over service, and to use God to get personal accolade.

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio I think has expressed the heart of Lent with the overcoming strategies of Jesus in the desert.

He says, “Jesus triumphs in this first wrestling match. He shows us how to keep from being pinned. Fasting breaks undue attachments to material blessings and stimulates our spiritual appetite. Humble service breaks the stranglehold of pride. The reverent worship of authentic faith breaks the full nelson of superstition, magic, and all arrogant religion. And the word of God is shown as the sword of the Spirit, the secret weapon that slashes through the enemy’s lies.”

Therefore, the heart of Lent is a journey marked by the letting go of sin. As you and I try to prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection with an authentic passion; we should endeavor to pray, fast, and engage in humble service. This is what Jesus modeled, and what we are called to.What would you be willing to sacrifice for 40 days to focus on your relationship with God and clearly consider the reality and significance of His death and resurrection? Sometimes when we deprive ourselves of things we over use, hold dear, or rely on other in place of God – we develop clarity, and a greater gratitude in our hearts.

Delayed gratification prepares us for gratitude.

This is the essence of your 40 day fast, prayer time, service, and worship.Think of the great things that have happened in 40 days historically. Think of what God could do in 40 days of special devotion in you, through you, and for others. It’s worth it. I challenge you to fast something in your life that takes up time, effort, is meaningful, and perhaps you like too much! Fill this gap with prayer and service. As you do focus on Jesus ministry, read through the gospel of John, be encouraged by the Word of God, and journey through a process of reflection and transformation from darkness to light.

I hope your deprived state finds you in the delight of Christ’s work on the cross for the salvation of the world.

Preparation.Journey.Reflect.Gratitude.Anything for my Jesus.Transformations.