Two guys are walking down the

street. One turns to the other and says, "Let's do steaks on the

grill tonight!" The other replies, "Oh, we can't do that! It's

Lent." The first guy responds emphatically, "Well, get it back

from whoever's borrowing it so we can cook those steaks!"

Thus it is with things often

misunderstood!

Many of us in our churches

are about halfway through the six-week time before Easter we call Lent.

And yes, it is often misunderstood. And that's O.K. Not everyone must

"celebrate" Lent, of course. But in case you were wondering,

here's a quick Q&A about it.

Q: Where did Lent get its

name?

A: The word "Lent"

originally meant "springtime" because the days "lengthen"

(modified in Old English to "lent") as winter gives way to spring.

Since the church season always fell at this time of year, the name came

to apply to it as well. Even after the word "Lent" was no longer

used for spring, it was still used by the church to describe the season

before Easter.

Q: Why does Lent last forty

days?

A: The early church celebrated

Lent only for a few days before Easter. Over the centuries, the length

of the season grew until it was several weeks long. In the seventh century,

the church set the period of Lent at forty days (EXCLUDING Sundays) in

order to remind people of the duration of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness

(Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).

Q: How did the tradition

of "giving up something for Lent" start?

A: Lent began at a time of

purification and preparation. In the early church, baptism was only performed

on Easter Sunday. An entire year's worth of converts to the faith would

be baptized and brought into the church that day. Lent was the time before

Easter in which these converts would fast and pray, preparing themselves

to be members of Christ's church. Over the centuries, the church began

to baptize and confirm people on days other than Easter Sunday. Lent was

no longer a time of preparation for these events, but it remained as a

special time of fasting. After the Reformation, the discipline of fasting

became unpopular. Thus, as a way of preserving Lent as a time of self-sacrifice,

the church leaders encouraged people to give up something during Lent

that they enjoyed.

Q: Why are pretzels associated

with Lent? (YES! They are!)

A: Folded pretzels are a symbol

for Lent because they look like arms folded in prayer. Yes, ARMS folded

across the chest was an ancient "prayer posture" that has now

been replaced for the most part by folded hands.

Q: How do Mardi Gras and

Ash Wednesday relate to Lent?

A: Mardi Gras (French for "Fat

Tuesday") is the last day before Lent. Since Lent was traditionally

a time of fasting, the day before it began was always a feast day. People

had to use up eggs, butter, sugar, and other perishables that would not

last through the Lenten season, and "Fat Tuesday" was celebrated

with many traditional (and tasty) baked goods. The next day, Ash Wednesday,

was the official beginning of Lent. After much time in prayer, people

would have their foreheads marked with ashes as a sign of their repentance

and humility. This practice continues still today in many of our churches.

Q: (Perhaps the BEST

question!) What does Lent mean for us today?

A: Lent is the church season

in which we prepare for Easter Sunday. It is a special time of prayer

and reflection, of confession and self-sacrifice. It is a time to remember

the temptation, the suffering, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Most

of all, it is a time to ready ourselves for the humble thankfulness and

sheer joy of Easter morning ­ it is a time to ready ourselves to

meet our risen Lord once again! Maybe it could even be called The Lutheran/Catholic/Episcopal/Liturgical

"Revival"! "Amen!" "Hallelujah!" No disrespect

intended!

Now, maybe if you're "guy

number one" and a friend of yours tells you that you can't do something

because "Its Lent", you won't think something has been borrowed.

May the blessings of Lent be

yours as we journey through these forty days together!

(Kollmeyer is Pastor

of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on Hwy. 314 between Lowes and The Pavilion

in Fayetteville. He invites anyone without a church home to visit a Sunday

Service either at the 8:00 Early Service, the 9:30 Contemporary Service,

or the 11:15 Traditional Service. For more information please log-on www.popdove.com

or call 770-461-3403.)

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