Shrove Tuesday
I'm interrupting our series on Mark to do a few devotions on Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent.The Background to Lent and Shrove Tuesday
"So, what is Lent?"Lent is based on the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness at the beginning of His public ministry. (Sundays are not counted, so Lent is actually 46 days long)
During the second century it became customary to baptise all converts on Easter Sunday. During those ages of persecution and martyrdom, they had to be thoroughly prepared for the confession of their faith and for their challenging walk with the Lord.
These preparations lasted 40 days -- not counting Sundays. Fasting and Prayer played an important role alongside the lessons the converts would receive during this time. After a while, other Church members felt the need to repeat the course. This always coincided with the European Spring and so this Season of the Church became known as "Lent" which is Old English/Germanic for Spring. Lent reaches its climax on Good Friday and ends with the Celebration of Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
There are two important aspects to Lent:
- Penitence: We realise our own brokenness and our need for Christ.
- Preparation: We strive to open our hearts wider for the celebration of Easter.
Today we talk about Shrove Tuesday...
The term 'Shrove' is derived from the word 'shrive' or 'shriven', which refers to the process of 'confessing one's sins' before going into Lent. In many Christian traditions people would abstain from rich foods during this fast time. As Wednesday was the start of Lent, Shrove Tuesday became the day to use up rich ingredients like eggs, butter, sugar, and milk before the Lenten fast and pancakes serve this purpose very well!
The ingredients are seen symbolically: Eggs represent creation and a new beginning, salt represents cleansing and wholesomeness, milk stands for purity and flour for the substance of life.
Jesus reminded His disciples that they should not look mournful when they fasted and so the church found it fitting to start a fast with a feast!
| When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy8:10-14) |
Deuteronomy gives us a sober warning.
God's goodness brings us to great blessings. Our food, drink and satisfaction are gifts from Him. But our comfort can become complacency and we can credit ourselves
So here are the key lessons of Shrove Tuesday:
- God provides abundantly
- We receive with thanksgiving
- We practise letting go, so that we may hunger for Christ
Or maybe, put another way:
- Pancakes remind us that God's world is full of good gifts
- Lent reminds us not to be ruled by those gifts
- Shrove Tuesday teaches us to enjoy with thanksgiving
So on Shrove Tuesday we celebrate that God is GOOD and we enter a season of trusting Him and drawing near to Him, and to let go with trust, because Jesus, who died and rose for us is the BREAD of LIFE...
