Tom Long who used to teach at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta says that for a lot of church-going folks, the Christian year with its different seasons is about as interesting as sitting down in a Chinese restaurant only to discover it’s the year of the rooster. Who cares? The answer in the latter case is the Chinese. It’s a traditional way for them to mark time. The answer in the former case is obvious enough too, Christians, a way for us to mark time.

While I don’t know much about the Chinese calendar, I try to teach my students about the Christian version. Since the majority of them are United Methodists, they actually grew up in congregations that observed Lent and celebrated Pentecost, for example. But I soon learned that growing up with these things doesn’t necessarily mean comprehending them, appreciating them fully. This strikes me as particularly unfortunate since, in my view, one of the keys to renewing worship is helping people understand what’s going on in worship.

Since we are in the season of Lent now, that seems like a timely focus. The trickiest part about the Lenten season leading up to Easter is the total number of days. While 40 is the correct answer, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Look at a calendar and you’ll see, there are 46 days in Lent. The catch, of course, is that the six Sundays of Lent don’t count.

While the math adds up, our practices may not. What I mean is that historically our ancestors in the faith understood that this solemn, penitential season shouldn’t be observed on Sundays because that is the day of resurrection. So for them, Lent was observed during the other days of the week in their towns and villages, while Sundays were always a day of celebration. Fast-forward to our day and since we don’t really share life together during the week the way they did, Lent becomes for many Christians a season of six Sundays, six somber Sundays.

Regardless of the number, this is a season of preparation, a time to remember that Jesus goes to Jerusalem where he will be crucified. And as the various Gospel accounts tell us, he invites us to come with him. While we know what ultimately happens on that glorious Sunday morning, for now we are on the road to Jerusalem. I hope to see you on that road this Lord’s day.