Lent: a six-week
season in spring leading up to Holy Week and Easter, remembering the forty days
that Israel spent in the wilderness and the forty days of Christ’s testing in
the wilderness. Lent is an Old
English word that means “spring” or “season of growth or renewal.”
We brought out two of our favorite Lenten traditions today on Ash Wednesday to welcome the season..
Alleluia Ribbons
We got out our
"alleluia" ribbons that we buried today on Ash Wednesday. Made of
simple wooden dowels and colorful ribbons with “alleluia” written on the
ribbons, we tucked these carefully into plastic bags and buried them for the season
of Lent.
“Because of the penitential character of the
season of Lent, singing or saying the word “alleluia” has historically been
suspended during Lent’s forty days. This period of individual and
congregational reflection on the quality of our baptismal faith and life
suggests that the joyful nature of alleluia is more appropriately reserved for
our Easter celebrations when it is given full and jubilant voice. An alternate
gospel acclamation for Lent that omits the alleluia is provided for all
settings of Holy Communion in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
The omission of alleluia during Lent goes
back at least to the fifth century in the western church. The custom of
actually bidding it farewell, however, developed in the Middle Ages. The hymn “Alleluia,
song of gladness” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship #318)
contains a translation of an 11th century Latin text that compares an
alleluia-less Lent to the exile of the Israelites in Babylon. The text then
anticipates the joy of Easter when glad alleluias will return in all their
heavenly splendor. Along with a sung farewell to alleluia, some
congregations have embraced the practice of physically “burying” the alleluia.
This may take the form of actually placing a visual representation of alleluia
in a hole in the ground, or of hiding it away after carrying it in procession
around the church or worship space. This ritual practice is especially
delightful and meaningful for children.” [i]
Crown of Thorns
(beginning our 4th year of this tradition)
In 2010, we began to practice
some wonderful Lenten traditions as a family.
We let Taylor ring our bell (a beautiful little singing bowl that we
have) three times and then had a brief time of quiet. (We took this idea from my friend Julie Canlis who shared in
her Christmas letter a few years ago about how she and her family tried to practice silence
together after an experience of silence during meals at a monastery.) We used this practice during Advent and
thought we would use it again to set apart Lent, another season of preparation.
Then we sang a Taize blessing:
In the Lord, I’ll be ever thankful
In the Lord, I will rejoice.
Look to God, do not be afraid.
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near.
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near.
When we first did this in 2010, Anna and Taylor were curious
about the new decorations on the table so we started with an explanation of our
“crown of thorns” on our table, which is an idea I got from my friends Heather
Fosth and Jennifer Hansen. The
wreath is made out of purple ribbon and a florist foam ring. Heather explained
the idea on her blog: “Throughout the
season, we will focus on confession and repentance - learning to say we are
sorry to God and to one another. Each time we say "sorry" we will
stick a toothpick in the crown and by the time we reach Good Friday, we'll have
a "crown of thorns" to represent the crown that Christ wore when He
was crucified. It is a symbol to remind us that it is because of our brokenness
that Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to one another - remembering that He
said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. Therefore, I
have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Of
course, at our going rate, we may create 4 or 5 crowns!) On the Saturday
between Friday and Easter Sunday, when Jesus was in the tomb, I will shroud the
crown with a black cloth and then on Easter morning, we will wake to a crown of
flowers and lovely greenery. (The resurrection!) All those thorns transformed
into vibrant life by His Power.”
The first time we did this four years ago, Anna and Taylor did not have any “I’m sorry’s” to say when we offered an
invitation, but then about half way through dinner, Anna said, “Taylor, I’m
sorry that I did not share my Polly Pockets with you” and then she put a
toothpick in. And Taylor
said (without any prompting from us):
“Anna, I’m sorry that I was mean to you after school today” and he also
put a toothpick in the crown. Then
Taylor went around and gave hugs to us all at the table.
We make the sign of the cross : “In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” I love the sign of the cross as
it reminds me that we are signed by the Author, that we are His workmanship and
that we are treasured as His very own.
Over the past few years as we have embraced this tradition, it has been amazing to watch the kids take time to reflect and to admit wrong. This helps tell the redemption story and helps us come to God's grace in the midst of frailty.
We have grown a lot in our Lenten journeys and hope that
this will continue to be a way to
turn and step closer to God’s gift of love for us. Jerry Smith preached about how our disciplines are
to draw us closer to God’s love and that we ought to embrace our discipline as
a child running to a candy store.
I have a feeling I will be racing each night to jump into this Lenten
routine as a family as it has been so sweet after just one evening of it.
As my friend Heather commented, “May we experience the peace of not being pierced anymore by our own toothpicks and the joy of seeing them transformed into beautiful life.”
I read this tonight for our Lent devotions. Some very powerful words as we talked about saying sorry.... What a gift God speaks over us and calls us to remember as we come to him with our confessions:
"I LOVE YOU!"
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