Lent, what is it?
In the early church, Lent was a time of preparation through fasting for new believers who were baptized at Easter. Today, it has become a shared season on the Christian calendar of repentance and discipline in preparation for Easter, as Christians focus their hearts on Jesus’ sacrifice and await the celebration of His resurrection.
Lenten practices have evolved over time, but many Christians still observe it by fasting—typically from food or a habit (think watching TV or using social media). Lent also includes practices like prayer, generosity, and Scripture reading. The point is self-discipline in order to focus more fully on Christ.
The season is a liturgical tradition rather than a biblical mandate. Lent isn’t commanded in Scripture, but its practices—fasting, prayer, and repentance—are rooted in the Bible.
Why is it called “Lent”? The word comes from an old English term, lencten, meaning “springtime” or “lengthening of days,” pointing to renewal.
When is Lent each year? In most Western traditions, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday). While the date changes each year, Ash Wednesday always falls 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday. This year, Ash Wednesday is on February 18, and Easter is on April 5.
On the “Day of Ashes,” some Christians wear ashes in the shape of a cross on their foreheads to symbolize human mortality (“For you are dust, and to dust you will return”) and/or mourning.
Why 40 days? The number 40 reflects key biblical moments of preparation and testing—including Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4), Israel’s 40 years in the desert (Joshua 5:6), and Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34). Sundays aren’t counted in the 40 days because they’re always considered celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection (the Lord’s Day), and therefore not treated as days of fasting or penitence.
Now that we hopefully have a better understanding of what Lent is, I hope you will consider entering into the Lenten season with our church. This Easter is going to be especially meaningful for Pacific Life Church because we are preparing for a re-launch.
The last three years have been difficult for PLC. We lost two-thirds of our congregation during the COVID season. The school where we meet underwent a complete renovation that more or less hid us from our community for a couple of years. With a third of the congregation remaining, we could no longer support five staff members, so we had to let some of them go. By the time the smoke cleared, it felt like we had been hit by a Mack truck—at least that’s how it felt to me.
Now for some good news. PLC applied for a church grant from a church planting organization that we are a part of called RIZE. After going through a rigorous and lengthy process, we were approved for a $20,000 grant. The idea behind the grant is to help us start fresh—thus, the re-launch.
We will be getting new church signs, sending bulk mailings to our community so we can reintroduce ourselves to our neighbors, and upgrading our kids ministry and worship ministry. All of this will take place in the next few weeks leading up to Easter.
Our goal is, and always has been, to reach our community for Christ—or, as our mission statement says, “We exist to inspire people to become disciples of Jesus by loving each other and serving our neighbors.”
If you decide to join us during the Lent season, I hope you will keep PLC in mind. I also pray that God will bless you and draw you into a deeper relationship with His Son, Jesus.
Stay close to Jesus,
Steve