Preparing for Easter
Dear COAH,
Preparing for Easter
How are you preparing for Easter? Some Christians choose to prepare for Easter by observing Lent. The traditional observance of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, the evening of Holy Saturday. This calculation makes Lent last 46 days if the 6 Sundays are included, but only 40 days if they are excluded. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry. While Lent is observed by various Christian traditions, it is also not observed in many churches. Traditional Lent observed required fasting meat from chickens, cows, sheep, pigs, and birds on Fridays. But these days many Christians fast from social media and choose many other things to abstain from during Lent.
Instead of focusing on Lent by giving up something, maybe it might be better to add something to prepare ourselves for Easter, where Christ accomplished the work of salvation, by focusing on Christ's life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
May I suggest reading through one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) or all the gospels leading up to Easter.
Spend more time in prayer, start coming out to Early Morning Prayer on Saturdays, and attend the special early morning prayer meeting during Passion Week (April 14th to 18th at 6 am).
There are a few good devotionals available:
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded - A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Pascha to Pentecost by Jonathan Gibson
The Risen King: 40 Devotions for Easter from C.H. Spurgeon
And the book I personally reread is John Piper’s book, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.
Let us prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate Easter by focusing on God’s great work of salvation in Christ.
Blessings,
Pastor Kyu Park