Many churches observe the time leading up to Easter as the Lenten Season. This year Lent started on February 22nd, which is known to many as Ash Wednesday. It lasts for 40 days (not including Sundays) and represents the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. It is a time for Christians to reflect and fast in preparation for the Resurrection of Christ.
In some churches, the congregants fast from something they enjoy such as going to the movies or restraining from smoking; but usually from some food they really enjoy such as candy or other sweets.
In our church, we fast from negative thoughts. Some might find this is more difficult to do than fasting from certain foods because our way of thinking has become habitual. Negative thinking is usually a result of judging another person or situation as either good or bad; or right or wrong.
Someone once suggested that we could look at the letters in Lent in this manner:
Loosening Loving
Every Each
Negative New
Thought Today
In the Scriptures, Jesus tells us in John 7:24 – “Judge not according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
People judge by outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
