Now that we are officially in the Lenten season it occurred to us that even
as we observe this time every year, we might still have some questions about
the season. We went to our best expert, Pastor Tim, for some answers. We'll
share them with you here. Starting with..
What is Lent?

It's not what gathers in the trap of your clothes dryer - that's lint.
If you try to look it up in the Bible you won't find it.

The word "Lent" originally meant "springtime." The early Church leaders,
in the 4th or 5th century, noticed how casually Christians regarded the
seasons of the soul, skipping on to Easter without proper reverence. So
they instituted a 40 hour observance between Good Friday and Easter. But
over the centuries, the length of the season grew until it was several weeks
long. In the 7th century, the Church set the period of Lent at 40 days
(excluding Sundays) in order to remind people of the duration of Jesus'
temptation in the wilderness.

Check back as we ask Pastor Tim some more questions about Lent.