Because this blog is for me but also for anyone who might stumble across it, I am making some notes about Lent and Ash Wednesday that I find particularly educational and interesting.

The Council of Nicaea, which was a gathering of about 250 (some say 318) clergy in 325 AD, was held in what is now modern day Turkey (then Asia Minor). There were two “big ticket” issues decided: the divinity of Jesus and standardizing a date for Easter.

This whole Easter dating thing is always a hot topic. Everyone likes to say that it’s based on pagan practices. Here’s the deal. The Council wanted to ensure that Easter always fell on a Sunday and was not on the Jewish Passover, which some were doing.  They set the date as the first Sunday after the first full moon (the Paschal Moon – how Passover is determined) after the Spring Equinox. All of this is related to the Hebrew calendar, which sets Passover as the 15th day of Nisan.

While not all Christian denominations observe Ash Wednesday/Lent, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, and many Reformed/Presbyterians do. Lent lasts 40 days (but on the calendar it is 46 – Sundays are considered feast days and not included). There are a number of reasons for the 40 days. The Bible typically connects times of suffering to the number 40: Noah in the Ark, Moses as a shepherd, Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites in the wilderness, Elijah in the desert, the Ninevites, and Jesus’ trial in the desert. The Bible loves numbers. If you are interested, you should study how numbers are used in the Book of Revelation.

Traditions:

Some people give up something for Lent, and this is meant to help us focus on sacrifice and to promote self-reflection. This is not a requirement, but many choose to do this to keep us mindful of the sacrifice made for us. One of my sons once gave up drinking anything other than water for Lent and donated the money he would have spent to Dafur.

Ashes…I was once in a store on Ash Wednesday when someone noted my forehead was dirty! In many traditions, these ashes are made from the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Again, this is not a Biblical requirement, but it is an outward symbol of faith.

As a Lutheran, I am not required to change my diet during Lent, but I often do. Many Roman Catholics still adhere to the “fish on Fridays” tradition. Did you go to school when fish was served on Fridays in public schools? I did.

Alright, those are my thoughts this Ash Wednesday. We are putting away our alleluias for a few weeks and will focus on the journey to the cross.