Shepherd Notes February 2026
The Lenten Season
“Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”
(Joel 2:13, ESV)
Although it hasn’t been very long since the Christmas decorations were put away, our attention in the Church now turns toward the solemn season of Lent. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, which falls this year on February 18. Lent refers to the forty-day period before Easter, excluding Sundays.
In the early centuries of the Church, Lent was a time of preparation first prescribed for baptismal candidates. During this period, the candidates were examined in preparation for Baptism on the night before Easter (the Easter Vigil). Later, these forty days were associated with Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness prior to His temptation. Lent also reminds us of the forty days it rained during the flood of Noah’s day and of the forty years the ancient people of Israel wandered in the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land.
Thus, Lent has become a period of preparation for every Christian. The Sundays during this season are not “of Lent” but “in Lent.” Sundays are always celebrations of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. And yet, the Sundays in Lent still retain a more solemn and somber tone than the other Sundays of the year. For example, we omit the Gloria in Excelsis and the Alleluia in the Divine Service. In addition, we typically do not have flowers in the chancel. We practice these customs so that Easter will seem all the more joyful when these beautiful songs and flowers return. During Lent, the church is decorated in violet, the color of royalty and repentance. Black may be used on Ash Wednesday. Ashes on the forehead is a sign of penitence and a reminder that we, too, shall die and therefore need forgiveness from Jesus. However, the ashes are placed on the forehead in the sign of the cross to remind us that it was on the cross that Jesus won our salvation. Because of Jesus, we have the certain hope and promise of life even in the midst of death.
The three historic disciplines of Lent are Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Fasting is giving up eating at a particular meal or time in order to devote that time to prayer and meditation on God’s Word. But I find that even giving up a certain type of food or drink for Lent, like Chocolate, can help me to remember to turn my attention to the Lord. We practice these Lenten disciplines not to merit favor with God, but rather so that we may learn to trust Him more deeply for all that we need for this life and the next, which He freely gives us through faith in Jesus. Finally, many churches observe Lent by gathering for midweek services. These additional times of worship and gathering around God’s Word help us prepare to observe Holy Week and Easter. Lent contains many beautiful hymns and traditions that highlight the season. Soon we will begin our Lenten journey that will lead us to the cross and empty tomb of our Lord Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose again to win our salvation.
Your Servant in Christ Pastor Brian