Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays , which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends of Holy Saturdy. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means, "spring." The season is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians. The First Sunday describes Jesus' temptation by Satan; and the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday), Christ's triumpahl entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent passion and death. Becasue Sundays are always littel Easters, the penitential spirit of Lent should be tempered with joyful expectation of the Resurrection.

The Great Three Days --sometimes called the Triduum or Pasch --from sunset Holy Thursday through Sunset Easter Day are the climas of Lent (and of the whole Christian year) and a bridge into the Easter season. These days proclaim the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. During these days the community journeys with Jesus fromthe upper rom, to the cross, to the tomb, and to the garden.

(The above information comes from The United Methodist Book of Worship. Copyright 1992 The United Methodist Publishing House.)

At Chilhowie UMC, we celebrate during the Season of Lent in the following ways:

• We begin the season with a Service of Ashes on Ash Wednesday. We gather to confront our own mortality and to also confess our sin to God as we worship in the community of faith. Ashes, made from the burned palms of a previous Palm Sunday, are imposed on the forehead of those that come forward to kneel at the altar. As the sign of the cross is made with the ashes, the pastor says, "From dust you came, and to dust you shall return."
• On the Fourth Sunday during Lent, we take the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
• On the Sixth Sunday During Lent (Passion/Palm Sunday) we remeber Christ entry into Jerusalem. We have a processional and the people of the congregation are given palm branhes to wave.
• Holy Thursday is celebrated with a service of Communion and Footwashing. The footwashing is a relatively new addition to this service for our congreation, but is deeply rooted in the tradition of our faith.
• Good Friday is celebrated in a number of ways. We might have a noon time service, but more than likely, we will have an evening service with readings interspersed with hymns.
• Easter Sunday is celebrated with special music. We might have a cantata on this day or we might just have some special music the choir has worked on for the ocassion. This year, we began the day with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast at the church.

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