| Lenten journey leads us to the cross  By Diedra Kriewald The United Methodist Church is currently on a Lenten journey, along with the worldwide Christian church, of 40 days and six Sundays, from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The lessons in the Common Lectionary take us on a liturgical pilgrimage with Jesus from his temptation in the wilderness to Palm Sunday. Each year Lenten worship is infused with the images of ashes, wilderness, flood and rainbow, 10 tablets, covenant making, roads taken and not taken, water, anointing, danger, fasting and crucifixion. As we walk with Jesus during these six weeks, our acts of praise in worship are more subdued, our music slower and contemplative, our public penitence more prominent. The church and worship leaders are vested in purples and hues the color of dust.  From the time of the ancient church, Lent has been set aside as a time of intensive preparation for the rite of baptism. Lent is also the season when Christians are called to examine their spiritual lives in order to become more disciplined followers of Jesus Christ. In the Historic Call to a Holy Lent, traditionally given to a congregation on Ash Wednesday, believers are asked to commit themselves to seven holy habits or Lenten disciplines: self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, self-denial (older versions ask for almsgiving), reading and meditating on Holy Scripture. Practicing these holy habits connects the participant with Christians around the world. The church expects these particular spiritual exercises to be practiced over and above whatever are normal daily habits. Lent officially begins with the historic liturgy on Ash Wednesday when pastors mark the foreheads of penitents with a cross of ashes and makes the scriptural injunction: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. The traditional prayer emphasizes the dual focus of this service: the inevitable sinfulness of each human being and the mortal nature of humanity. The faithful became accustomed both to a party with rich foods and making confession the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The practice of pre-lenten confession goes back to a calamity in the sixth century, when the Langobards, a German tribe, waged a war that devastated Italy. As a result of this war, in 541 the Bishop of Rome set aside a time for penance in the hope of Gods mercy in the face of this disaster. From this practice, the day before Ash Wednesday became known as Shrove Tuesday or the day on which people are shriven (absolved) from sins and made ready for the long Lenten fast. The days leading up to Lent are still a time of carnival in many countries. The word carnival comes from the Latin carnelevarium, which means withdrawal of meat. Until modern times the laws of fasting during Lent were very strict and included refraining from using meat, butter, cheese, milk, eggs, liqbwc_superuser and solid fats, bacon and refined sugar. These products could not even be kept in homes during the fast. The practical necessity of finishing those foods which could not be eaten during Lent led to increased consumption of rich foods and pastries the week before Ash Wednesday. Thus came about the name Fat Tuesday (Mardi gras in French and Fetter Dienstag in German). Christians are still called to fast during the 40 days of Lent. These 40 days do not include the six Sundays which are regarded as feast days of resurrection. The tradition of restricting foods high in fats and refined sugars has gained a new significance in light of the oversized and rich diet in the United States. The Rev. Diedra Kriewald is Professor of Teaching and Formation at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. | 
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