It seems like we have just finished celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ when suddenly we come face to face with Lent. February 26th is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the forty day period we know as Lent.
Lent goes back to the first century church when converts to the faith went through a forty day period of study, culminating in their baptisms into the faith on Easter Eve. That forty day period was a time of learning, studying, and growing in the faith. Apostles, pastors, and teachers shared the faith and the foundational teachings of the Church. It was a time of growth, and even today, Lent should be a time of growth for us.
We begin with Ash Wednesday, in which we hear the Word and receive ashes in the shape of the cross as a sign of our mortality and our salvation through the cross of Christ. We also receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion in which we become one with Christ though his body and blood.
This Lenten season, let us take the time to study, learn, and grow in the faith. Each week, beginning with Ash Wednesday, we will study some aspect of what is known as Christian Apologetics.
No, we are not ‘apologizing’ for believing in God, but the word ‘apologetics’ means ‘to defend’. On each Wednesday of the Lenten Season we will look at a different aspect of defending the faith. Using logic, science, and rational thought, you will learn how to defend the faith.
The following is an outline of our course of study:
Feb. 26 (Ash Wednesday) - “The Causes of Unbelief”
Mar. 4 - “Existence of God: Cause and Effect”
Mar. 11 - “Existence of God: Design
Mar. 18 - “Existence of God: Morality”
Mar. 25 - “The Bible”
Apr. 1 - “Jesus as Lord and Savior”
Apr. 9 - “Evil, Pain, and Suffering”
I hope you take advantage of this great opportunity to learn how to defend the Christian faith.
Veritas,
Curt