Gary Neal Hansen

Theology. It's good for you.

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You are here: Home / Archives for Lent

Forgiveness Vespers

March 8, 2018 by Gary Neal Hansen 9 Comments

forgiveness vespers

A couple weeks ago I attended a gathering for the night before Lent began. No, this was not a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. Nor was it a Mardi Gras carnival. This was a Sunday evening worship service. It was an Orthodox church — and for the East Lent does not begin on a Wednesday. Orthodox […]

Filed Under: Church Year, Community, Worship Tagged With: Ceremony of mutual forgiveness, Forgiveness Sunday, Forgiveness Vespers, Lent, Rite of Forgiveness

Lent: On Repentance

March 23, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

Repentance

Lent is coming. That means you still have a few days to get ready to take a dive into repentance. Chances are that doesn’t sound like such a great offer. Especially in the Protestant world we have a pretty hard time with repentance. We associate the word “repent” with our lunatic fringe, carrying signs about the […]

Filed Under: Bible, Church Year, Vocabulary Tagged With: Lent, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Repentance, Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Lent: On Humility

February 23, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

Humility

We in the West have already had two of the six Sundays of Lent. The East is just ramping up. They start on a different schedule, and each of the four Sundays before Lent begins has its own clear focus. It is all about getting ready for Lent. The Pharisee & The Publican It started this week […]

Filed Under: Church Year, Prayer, Worship Tagged With: Humility, Lent, Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

What Does Lent Mean to You?

February 19, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen 7 Comments

What does Lent mean to you?

For the Western Church Lent has begun, and for the East it is drawing near. What does Lent mean to you? Lent has many meanings across the Christian spectrum. For some it is the richest season of the year for their spiritual life. For some it is a guilt-ridden set of empty rituals. For some […]

Filed Under: Church Year Tagged With: Lent

I Interview Laura Alary, “Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter”

January 11, 2016 by Gary Neal Hansen 22 Comments

This week I interview Laura Alary: a very dear friend, and a children’s author who has written a growing shelf of books. She takes both children and theology very seriously. My kids and I totally dig her books. Since her new kids’ book Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter is coming out just […]

Filed Under: Church Year, Reviews Tagged With: Children's books, Easter, Laura Alary, Lent, Make Room: A Child's Guide to Easter and Lent

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Theology. It’s good for you.

I'm a Church historian by trade. My writing, speaking, and teaching explores the Christian past to equip today's disciples. Join me here for regular posts on the best of theology, spirituality, community, and ministry. read more…

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