What is Lent?
What is Lent?
Lent is the 40 days— beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending Maundy Thursday—that lead up to Easter. Sundays are not included in the 40 days, but are instead feast days as the church gathers together.
Different churches and denominations have historically chosen to formally celebrate or not celebrate Lent.
What is the purpose of Lent?
The simplest way to describe Lent is that it is a season of preparation. Just as Advent is a season of remembering and preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus’s arrival here on Earth as a baby, Lent allows us to remember and prepare our hearts to acknowledge His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection at Easter.
It is a time to reflect on who we are apart from Him and how greatly we need Him always.
Is Lent biblical?
Lent is not a biblically mandated observation; however, many of its themes are biblical.
If you attend an Ash Wednesday service, you may here “Repent and believe in the Gospel”, or “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” These draw from scripture referencing dust and ashes.
Additionally, the season of Lent is one marked by humility, reflection, repentance, fasting, mortality and giving, which are all themes discussed in scripture.
Do we celebrate Lent?
We neither formally observe nor ignore the season of Lent. You will hear us reference it, but leave it up to individual preferences.
What do I do for Lent?
There is no prescribed formula, but there are some helpful practices to include: study, reflection, repentance, prayer, and fasting.
Lent is an opportunity to reflect on areas where there is disconnect and brokenness between you and God and offer a repentant heart back to the Lord. We so often shy away from talk of repentance, but it is the necessary beginning work of redemption. All this work happens through time in God’s Word and conversation with the Lord in prayer.
To see this practice of reflection, prayer, and redemption in practice, read and study David’s words in Psalm 51.
Some people also choose to fast during Lent.
Do I need to fast for Lent?
No. While fasting is biblical and good, at its core, Lent is about drawing closer to God. Fasting from something familiar and comforting can help us become more aware of our need for God and our own humanity. Will fasting from a certain food, technology, or some other habit help you do that? Then fast. But it is not necessary. If you do fast from something, people typically replace that time with prayer, worship, or Bible study.
Conversely, some people choose to add something to their lives during Lent– perhaps a spiritual discipline or practice that would deepen your relationship with Jesus.
Final Thoughts
God knows His children are prone to wander; there is a need to reconcile. Ultimately and completely, Jesus accomplished that reconciliation through the Cross. Yet, if led to incorporate it into your Easter season, the intentional time with the Lord can be a means of sanctification and growth. It calls us to remember who He is and what He has done for us.
Additional Resources
He Reads Truth & She Reads Truth websites— Free daily study for Lent
Lectio365 — Free website or app; guided morning, midday, evening prayers and reflections
The Passion of the King of Glory (Retelling the Story #2) by Russ Ramsey