So far thy picture. Lent is a weason of vho Church's year set apart ax a time of penitence and preparation; a time of fasting, -of abétinences above all of preparation for the feast of Easter, Yet so many people nowadays. misconceive the whole purpose of Lent that it acorns necessary that those of us who are appointed by the Church to speak in the nome of Christ, should try to help right thinking in the matter of this important season of the Church's year, First, let_me try to say what Lent is not. Lent is not a dismal time, to be endured in a godly discomfort, Words written by George Herbert are appropriate here:— feast of Lent; who hee temperance, But is composed of passion.
Just playing with was a habit substitution of "feaut" for the word rest," is not merely playing with words; it la an attempt to define Lent in positive rather than nega tive words. The common idea of Lent us a dismal time, when diseomfort, patiently endured, will bring forth traits unto righteousness, is, fas wrong as well it can be. If Lent is not a joyous time, although—or perhaps. been: is a time of abstinence and preparation, Decuuse we do not understand it, of no particular account in society; whether we are popular or Popular. I think God. minds very much whether we are keen, eager, ready to be used by Him for His the/world, and Lent is a by prayer, abstinence, self-examination, we try, by His help, to make ourselves readier for His use.
The Positive Ideal T Lave already spoken the words positive" and "negative." If we decide to use the season of Lent, and, further ask ourselves how best we: may do so, let me urge the positive ideal, Let us find out what we can do; not what we think it would be well to refrain from doing. "Let our Lenten observance be constructly not either destructive or neutral The Christian must always be inquiring whether there are things he ought not to do; that is part of our: everyday life. In Lent we should: inquire what things for God we: might try to Primarily, in Lent, we try to pat our prayer life in order. The work. of the Church—and that means the work of God through His faithful people—requires prayer. By prayer, do not mean that odd travesty of the idea so popular in our day—the idea that prayer means asking God for things. Prayer is the linking of ourselves to God. God is spirit; we are spiritual creatures; ur spiritual natures require nourishment, and this nourishment obtained in prayer. Or, to put. the thought in simpler" words, prayer is getting nequainted with God. In Lent, by prayer,.we ought, to try to get better acquainted with] God.
Herein our greatest privilege is to come, week by week, to the central act of the Church's prayer, the cole-_ bration of the Holy Communion. This, so I believe, is the most important way by which God gives us spiritual power. "Do this in remembrance of Me," was one of the very few commands of Jesus, and, ax He said it, it is our greatest freedom to obey. If He did not mean it, why did He say it—He of whom it was eaid:—"Neve> man spoke like this man"—and if He: meant it, why do we retrain?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.