What is Lent
The dates for the season of Lent for 2022 are:
Ash Wednesday Wednesday, March 2
First Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 6
Second Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 13
Third Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 20
Fourth Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 27
Fifth Sunday of Lent Sunday, April 3
Sixth Sunday of Lent Sunday, April 10 (Palm Sunday)
Holy Week:
Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 14
Good Friday Friday, April 15
Holy Saturday Saturday, April 17
Easter Sunday Sunday, April 17
Lent is a period of fasting, moderation, and self-denial traditionally observed by people from many Christian denominations. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. The length of the Lenten fast was established in the 4th century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). During Lent, some participants skip meals, eat sparingly or give up a particular food or habit. It is a common practice for some people to give up pleasurable things and activities or to avoid certain sinful practices. For example, people may give up smoking during Lent, avoid watching television or eating candy or telling lies. For these people, Lent involves six weeks of self-discipline.
Some people believe that giving something up for Lent is a way to gain God’s blessing in some way. But the Bible teaches that grace cannot be earned; grace is “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17).
Our church does not actively practice the tradition of giving things up for Lent. However, if a Christian wishes to observe Lent, he or she is free to do so. Lent should not be a time of telling everyone what we have sacrificed trying to earn God's favor or increase His love for us. Instead, Lent should be a time where we actively focus on Christ's offering of Himself for us.
Ash Wednesday Wednesday, March 2
First Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 6
Second Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 13
Third Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 20
Fourth Sunday of Lent Sunday, March 27
Fifth Sunday of Lent Sunday, April 3
Sixth Sunday of Lent Sunday, April 10 (Palm Sunday)
Holy Week:
Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 14
Good Friday Friday, April 15
Holy Saturday Saturday, April 17
Easter Sunday Sunday, April 17
Lent is a period of fasting, moderation, and self-denial traditionally observed by people from many Christian denominations. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. The length of the Lenten fast was established in the 4th century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). During Lent, some participants skip meals, eat sparingly or give up a particular food or habit. It is a common practice for some people to give up pleasurable things and activities or to avoid certain sinful practices. For example, people may give up smoking during Lent, avoid watching television or eating candy or telling lies. For these people, Lent involves six weeks of self-discipline.
Some people believe that giving something up for Lent is a way to gain God’s blessing in some way. But the Bible teaches that grace cannot be earned; grace is “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17).
Our church does not actively practice the tradition of giving things up for Lent. However, if a Christian wishes to observe Lent, he or she is free to do so. Lent should not be a time of telling everyone what we have sacrificed trying to earn God's favor or increase His love for us. Instead, Lent should be a time where we actively focus on Christ's offering of Himself for us.
Easter Sunday
Easter or Resurrection Sunday is the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the dead. The early church saw His resurrection as the central witness to a new act of God in history and the victory of God in vindicating Jesus as the Messiah. Easter marks the central faith confession of the early church and was the focal point for Christian worship, observed on the first day of each week since the first century (Acts 20:7; Sunday was officially proclaimed the day of Christian worship in AD 321). Easter as an annual celebration of the Resurrection that lies at the center of a liturgical year has been observed at least since the fourth century. Even in churches that traditionally do not observe the other historic seasons of the church year, Easter has occupied a central place as the high point of Christian worship.
Frequently Asked Questions About Easter
Q: How do we know what day Easter falls on?
A: The date for Easter is different each year. Easter can fall as early as March 22nd and as late as April 25th. The formula for calculating the date of Easter Sunday has changed through the years. Before the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, Easter Sunday would fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (when the plane of the earth's equator passes through the center line of the sun).
Since the Council of Nicea, Easter Sunday has been defined as "the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year." The Pascal Full Moon for each year has been calculated by astronomers and written down in a table for quick reference.
Q: Why does the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Easter Sunday on a different date that most other churches?
A: The answer to this question is actually very simple. Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar (the calendar that's used throughout the West today, in both the secular and religious worlds) to calculate the date of Easter. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the old Julian calendar to determine religious holidays. That is the same reason the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on a different day that their Western counterparts.
Q: Some Christians choose not to celebrate Easter at all, alleging that Easter was originally based on the worship of pagan goddesses of spring and fertility. If that is true, should we avoid Easter also?
A: There are some historians who ascribe the origins or Easter to a pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eâstre. It is believed that she is the goddess of the dawn and was worshiped in the spring by pagans in Northern Europe and the British Isles. The language of the ancient Germans had much in common with the Saxons. The Teutonic Germans used the name Ostrâ.
However, some of the early church fathers and early translators of the German and English Bibles used these names in connection with the Jewish Passover and in connection with Jesus as God's Passover Lamb. An excellent scholarly discussion is found in the article "Is the Name 'Easter' of Pagan Origin?", written by Robert Patterson for the Answers In Genesis website. Click here to read the article at Answers In Genesis.
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A: The date for Easter is different each year. Easter can fall as early as March 22nd and as late as April 25th. The formula for calculating the date of Easter Sunday has changed through the years. Before the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, Easter Sunday would fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (when the plane of the earth's equator passes through the center line of the sun).
Since the Council of Nicea, Easter Sunday has been defined as "the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year." The Pascal Full Moon for each year has been calculated by astronomers and written down in a table for quick reference.
Q: Why does the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Easter Sunday on a different date that most other churches?
A: The answer to this question is actually very simple. Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar (the calendar that's used throughout the West today, in both the secular and religious worlds) to calculate the date of Easter. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the old Julian calendar to determine religious holidays. That is the same reason the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on a different day that their Western counterparts.
Q: Some Christians choose not to celebrate Easter at all, alleging that Easter was originally based on the worship of pagan goddesses of spring and fertility. If that is true, should we avoid Easter also?
A: There are some historians who ascribe the origins or Easter to a pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eâstre. It is believed that she is the goddess of the dawn and was worshiped in the spring by pagans in Northern Europe and the British Isles. The language of the ancient Germans had much in common with the Saxons. The Teutonic Germans used the name Ostrâ.
However, some of the early church fathers and early translators of the German and English Bibles used these names in connection with the Jewish Passover and in connection with Jesus as God's Passover Lamb. An excellent scholarly discussion is found in the article "Is the Name 'Easter' of Pagan Origin?", written by Robert Patterson for the Answers In Genesis website. Click here to read the article at Answers In Genesis.
Click here to return to the Special Services and Events page.