In my sermon last Sunday, I mentioned something that often surprises people. The Sundays during Lent are not counted into the overall 40 days of the Lenten season. Lent echoes the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness, but the Church has long understood that Sundays stand apart. From the earliest days of Christian worship, Sunday has always been a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As we move through this season of Lent, a time when we slow down, reflect, and turn our hearts again toward God, each Sunday gently lifts our eyes back to the hope at the center of our faith. When we gather for worship, we are reminded of the empty tomb and the promise that death and darkness never have the final word. That is why each Sunday, even in the middle of Lent, has often been called “a little Easter.” It is a small but joyful reminder that resurrection hope is already breaking into our lives.
Now that we are about halfway through the season of Lent, some of the practices we have begun, whether prayer, reflection, fasting from something, or acts of generosity, may feel more challenging to sustain. Yet each Sunday offers a moment to lift our heads and remember that while the cross lies ahead, so does the resurrection.
In many ways, this pattern reflects the rhythm of the Christian life itself. There are seasons when we wrestle with our weaknesses, need to receive or extend forgiveness, or long for renewal in our walk with the Lord. Lent gives us space to do that honest work. But woven through our journey is always the promise of resurrection hope.
That is why Christians have often said we are Easter people. Our faith is rooted not only in the cross but also in the empty tomb. Even in the middle of Lent’s quiet reflection, the light of Easter continues to shine.
So as we continue through these weeks of Lent, let each Sunday remind us of who we are and whose we are. Even now, the hope of the resurrection is already breaking into our lives.
Jesus loves you, Union Family, and I do too.