South Lyon Power & Light News

Many of our Church seasons and holidays come from the medieval times.  It was during the Great European Warming during the late Middle Ages, a period of climate change, that Lent as we know it was shaped.

The Great European Warming was seen as great news for European farmers, fishermen, merchants and clerics.  Crops were bountiful, and in many places, two crops could be planted and harvested, since the ground thawed and the weather warmed earlier than it had, so February became a time to get ready for planting.  As an aside, however, what was great for Europe and for Polynesian sailors (who settled Hawaii during this time) was bad news for large areas of the southwest of what would become America, southeast Asia, China and South America.  This time period also saw the extinction of the Maya, Anasazi, and Ankor civilizations.

One of the key tasks of farming during this time was preparing the ashes.  Ashes that had been saved from fires all winter were used to fertilize the fields, were made into pumice to sharpen tools, and into soap and cleanser for spring garments.

At the tail-end of winter, the world may seem dead, but it is the time to get ready; to see not the bare fields, but the abundance ready to fill the world; to gather the ashes of burnt-out things and turn them into newness, to gather the ashes of the dark winter of the soul and turn them into the colors of Spring.

Lent is a time to open the field of our hearts to the seed of growth, forgiveness, courage, patience, humor and charity, to take on the new tasks of sowing, digging and planting, not merely hunkering down and being passive.  Let us do something glorious for the Lord of Spring and seed.

Peace,

Pastor Bart