I'd like to know more about the historic basis for Lent. Why do we have a 40-day period of preparation before Easter? Why not 30, 25, or 50 days?

That's a great question? Why 40 days?

To find the answer to the question, I called Rev. Hoyt Hickman, one of United Methodism's liturgical scholars. He shared with me that there are 40 days in Lent mirroring Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. (See Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, or Luke 4:1-12.) These were the 40 days of preparation for the beginning of his ministry. The number 40 must have been an important number in Judeo/Christian history relating to preparation. (Remember that the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land.)

The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." Lent began as a time of preparation for converts to Christianity (Easter was the traditional time of Baptism for the Early Church). Persons who were going to be confirmed would go through a period of prayer and fasting in preparation for their entry into Christianity. The preparation time evolved into a season that all Christians observed -- preparing themselves for the observance and remembering of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

-- Beth Richardson
Director of Electronic Publishing
The Upper Room

Julian of Norwich, a late fourteenth-century mystic and spiritual writer, chose to live a solitary life in a cell attached to the Church of Saint Julian in Norwich, England. Because Julian was known for her wisdom, seekers approached the window of her cell to ask her questions about Christian faith and practice.

Learn more about Julian by reading Encounter with God's Love: Selected Writings of Julian of Norwich from Upper Room Books.