Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/88

Contributor - Joan Drost

Title - Experience Lent in New Ways

Topic - Lent

Lent is to Easter what Advent is to Christmas; weeks of preparation before the great holy days of the church. In the four weeks of Advent, the days at home and at church with family and friends are filled with joyful activities of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the fact that Christ has come and will come again as He has promised. The forty days of Lent, on the other hand, are more personal in nature, a time for reflection and meditation, a period of preparation reminding the Christian of the death and resurrection of his Lord. Lent came to be because there were those in the Christian church who felt that through the disciplines of prayer, fasting, worship and meditation the Christian disciple would have a richer experience in preparing for the Easter Day. It is true that Scripture does not call for such a period, and some Christians have loaded Lent with dead formalities and questionable practices, but Lent can be a beneficial time for spiritual refreshment, review and renewal. There are many activities for the Christian disciple which will help him to experience Lent in meaningful ways. The following suggestions are mainly for personal experiences, but many can be shared with the family:

1. Personal Devotions

Establish a time and place for your daily devotions. If you do not do so already, begin to discipline yourself during Lent to keep this as a daily practice throughout the year.

Prayer - Make a prayer list to help you remember what you want to pray. Use the church directory and pray for a number of families each day so that at the end of Lent all have been prayed for. Read some beautiful prayers written by great Christians, such as Peter Marshall, John Baillie and Corrie Ten Boom.

Scripture - Use different versions and paraphrases of the Bible to help give variety and clarity to your readings. If you are alone, read aloud and enjoy a new experience. Read all four gospels. Try to read at least one of them in one setting as you would a short story. Memorize some appropriate Scripture passages. Meditate on some portion. Think about what the passage means; what did it say to you; how must you put it to use? Give yourself time to be silent before the Lord, so He may speak.

2. Church Attendance

Invite someone to share the special services of the season with you. Perhaps ,you may want to invite them for coffee afterwards. Sharing hospitality is a good form of witnessing.

3. Giving

Lent is a time for self-denial, a time when we give something of ourselves in the name of the Lord. Donate the cost Of one meal per day to feed the hungry or to advance the cause of Christ in a mission field. Visit the shut-ins. Send a few well-chosen Easter cards with a Christian message to an unchurched neighbour. Extend forgiveness where it is needed, and establish peace where strained relationships may have developed.

4. Poetry

Go to the public library and look for poems of the season. The Easter issue of the Ideals magazine has some good poetry, and the new hymn book ",Rejoice in the Lord" is an excellent source for poetry grounded in sound theology. Open the Book of Psalms and read them aloud, allowing them to speak to your soul.

5. Books

Visit a Christian bookstore where there is a display of books for the season. Buy a new devotional book to guide you in your quiet time. Enjoy some of the old classics, such as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress; A. Murray's With Christ in the School of Prayer; J. Baillie's A Dairy of Prayer. An easy to read and beautifully illustrated book is Not I, But Christ by Corrie Ten Boom.

6. Be Creative

Write a prayer, a poem or a psalm expressing feelings of thanks and praise, repentance and renewal. Keep a Lenten journal and jot down thoughts from Scripture and your meditation moments. Compose a simple tune and sing it or play it on your instrument. If you have artistic skills, paint or draw some of your impressions. Take a walk enjoying the early signs of rebirth in nature.

7. Music

Be alert to some of the good choral groups in your area that perform the great music of the season. The public library often has records and tapes that can be borrowed. Do not overlook radio and TV guides, which will advertise special programs featuring music of the Holy Season. Some famous Lenton compositions are: The Passion According to St. Mauhew, The Passion According to St. John (Bach),- Messiah (Handel), the second section in particular, Seven Last Words of Christ (Stainer).

8. Art

Enjoy some of the great art works which have been done on the Lenten/ Easter themes. Gustave Dore, for example, has painted many descriptive works on the last days of our Lord. Here again the public library can assist you in finding books with such works to enrich your Lenten experience.

For readers in Ontario, especially those in the Niagara area, the Niagara Falls Art Gallery at 805 8 Oakwood Dr. (Q.E. W. at McLeod), features a magnificent display of painting on "The Passion of Christ according to the Gospel of St. Matthew". 160 panels, done by the late William Kurelek, a Canadian of Ukranian descent, are featured in a beautiful setting. A written text accompanies each panel and a tape recording is also available to give further meaning to the display. The Gallery is open every day except Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from I to 5 p.m. Groups are welcome in the evening, by appointment only. For more information, call (416) 643-4677.

May we all experience Lent in new ways this year so that we may greet the resurrection mom prepared and renewed in Christ who makes new life possible.

"Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious,

See the Man of Sorrows now,-

From the fight returned victorious,

Every knee to Him should bow.

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