Calendar

This is a very busy time of the year for the Christian calendar. This week alone, there is Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent.

Shrove Tuesday actually commemorates the preparation for the Lenten season. Shrove is an Old English word that translates to "to repent". Shrove Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras ("fat Tuesday"), contrasting to the fasting during Lent. In many areas around the world, this day is also called Pancake Day because it is customary to eat pancakes on this day. It's a shame that the world has put a very different meaning to this time with the drunkenness and debauchery that goes on in places like New Orleans.

Ash Wednesday is a day that marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. On Ash Wednesday, it is some churches' tradition to mix anointing oil with ashes and mark the foreheads of believers with the sign of the cross. This mark signifies their sorrow and mourning at the death of Jesus. Ash Wednesday is supposed to be a somber day in which we reflect about what needs to happen in our lives if we are to fully reflect Christ.

The season of Lent includes 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday. It is a time of fasting, praying and service commemorating the sacrifice that Jesus made in His death on the cross.

At City on a Hill Church, we don't officially celebrate this calendar with services exclusively devoted to the purpose of these days, but it is good for us to remember and adjust our lives accordingly.

Shrove Tuesday - What habits are there in your life that require repentance?
Ash Wednesday - What needs to change in your life so Christ can be more fully reflected to the world around you?
Lent - What needs to be removed from your life so that you can experience God with more clarity and fullness?