By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion…How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! -- Psalm 137:1,4,5
Pre – Lent is a season of seeking. In the historic season of Pre-Lent Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima are the three Sundays before Ash Wednesday that take their names from Latin words indicating that they fall within 70, 60, and 50 days before Easter. Quadragesima begins the official 40 day fast of Lent on Ash Wednesday. This entire season of seeking is a little like Lent in that we omit the Alleluia and the Gloria in Excelsis, holding back on some of the joy as we prepare to begin our Lenten journey of faith. The season of Pre-Lent begins with Septuagesima. This word is Latin for 70th reminding of the 70 years of captivity for God’s people in Babylon.
Psalm 137 is a psalm of tears. The setting is the siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC by neighboring Babylon. Babylonian soldiers entered the city in force. They broke down walls. Both the city and Temple were destroyed and looted. Jerusalem’s leaders were dragged away into exile and most buildings were burned to the ground. The people were to blame. The unrepentant sins of the people had withdrawn them from their God. And only through his mercy could they return to rest.
The ancient church in creating this season in our church year saw what might be a fitting parallel with what the people of God endured in the Old Testament and our experience here in the new. In other words, our sins have drawn us away as well. We might willingly then in this season before Lent look to our Lord, seeking him that we might find his rest afresh.
Our season of pre-Lent begins 70 days before the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord, additionally, seven is a number of completion in scripture. The number 70 might call to mind the whole life in this world in which we are exiled from the heavenly Jerusalem, seeking God that he would bring us by grace into the life of the world to come! In this season of our seeking may the Lord keep us from being carried away by sin into a captivity of our own. For his mercies in Jesus Christ are new for us each day, unto that eternal day!
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