Lent is almost upon us – Ash Wednesday and the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. As I have been preparing for the Lenten season, I’ve been thinking about how I might adjust my daily rhythms for the next 40 days to contemplate Christ’s work on my behalf. Observing this season isn’t new for me since I’ve always been part of a liturgical church which practices this. Ashes on Ash Wednesday, 40 days of fasting of some kind, and Holy Week. I realize that this is new for many of you. Perhaps it’s something you are curious about, so I’m going to offer my humble and lay person overview of the season and how you might add (or subtract) something to/from your daily rhythm.
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History of Lent
Lent is one of the oldest observations in the formal church calendar. It was adopted in the early Church as a way to meditate upon Christ’s life with self-examination and penitence.
According to one source, in 325 the Council of Nicea (Nicene Creed came from this!) discussed a 40-day Lenten season of fasting leading up to the celebration of Easter. Over the centuries, fasting practices were established in various ways.
In the 6th century, Gregory the Great (c. 540-604) started the Ash Wednesday tradition as the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. Gregory the Great was also the first to practice marking the faithful with ashes on the forehead as a symbol of repentance. “You are dust, and to dust you will return” Genesis 3:19, words that will be repeated across the world this week.
Contemporary Christian Lenten practices vary widely depending upon the denomination, but it is often mistaken to be limited to Roman Catholics who practice fasting and observing this penitential season. Not so! Many Protestant denominations also observe this season of Lent, and I have seen a lot more discussion about this in recent years.
Lent is traditionally observed for 40 days beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing through Maundy Thursday. Why 40 days? This is a reminder of Christ’s time in the wilderness where he defeated Satan (Matthew 4).
(Wait! If you like counting, you’ll notice that there are more than 40 days here, but the Church does not count Sundays in this total. They are feast days.)
Why observe a Lenten fast?
If you are already in a church that observes Lent, you’ll probably have wonderful guidance for why and how best to do this. Hopefully, you will have suggestions for meditations or devotions throughout the season, and the Bible readings and sermon messages will reflect this season. (If you need ideas for devotions or meditations, I share some below.)
Let me be honest. Sometimes, I defaulted to whatever my church was doing. I’d worship on Sundays and Wednesdays, attend a soup supper, and call it good. I was too busy to do more. Kids, work, life.
Please know this. How many times you go to church or open your Bible is not what matters. Your observance of Lent or any other work you might do is not the reason God loves you. God loves you and forgives you because of His Son’s death and resurrection, His righteousness for you. A gift from Him to you. He does not owe you salvation based upon your good works. Nope. Read this to be reminded:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
Remember that. A gift.
But sometimes I hunger for a fast.
That may sound strange. What do I mean? Giving up something for Lent is fairly common. Fasting is part of the ancient tradition. However, it’s tempting to see this as an excuse where I can get a reset on one of those New Year’s resolutions which isn’t going so well. Sometimes – and I’m putting my younger self in this category! – we may “give something up” for Lent like chocolate or desserts or wine because it’s a good time to refresh. To begin again. Fasting seems like a great way to kick-start a healthier lifestyle. To lose weight. To be a better me.
Lenten fasting is much more than that.
What does it look like to fast in a more meaningful way? A Lenten fast? This kind of fast is a sacrifice, something that reminds me that only Jesus can feed my hungry soul. A Lenten fast is giving up something that the world tells me I need or something that my sinful self tells me I need. Like chocolate or new books or lots of likes on social media. A Lenten fast reminds me of this:
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35 (ESV)
How to Start a Fasting Practice During Lent
1. Pray.
Ask God if this is the right time. Perhaps this is a stressful season of your life, and one more thing on your plate will be too much. That’s absolutely okay.
2. Consider.
If you decide you want to fast from something, consider a few questions. What food or activity do you lean on? What thing do you do often, almost without thinking, that you can’t imagine not doing or having? Maybe your answer will come to you loud and clear. That’s awesome! If not, keep going with Step #3.
Hear what others have done. Here’s just a sampling of ways you can fast.
- Give up a specific food or drink. Coffee. Wine. Cookies. Your daily chips and salsa.
- Give up a practice or limit it. Netflix binges. Social media. Cussing. Scrolling.
- Give up something intangible like worry, busyness, complaining, jealousy. What might that look like for you? These are not as easily “tracked” since there’s not a physical object to abstain from like your phone or sticking your hand in the candy jar. But I’ve heard beautiful stories of how faithful people have set their mind to sacrificing some of these things.
3. Brainstorm and journal.
I’m a believer in writing down your thoughts and ideas. This doesn’t have to be a five-paragraph essay or a formal thesis. Just brain dump. Get it all on paper. Truly, you will have better clarity when you do this.
4. Write it down.
Decide what you’ll try to do. Write it down. Talk to the Lord about it. Tell someone you love and trust, maybe, especially if it’s someone in your household or family who can help you. But I’d encourage you not to shout it from the rooftops or on social media lest you fall into the “look how holy I am” trap. This is your business, between you and the Lord. This is not a competition or a race or a requirement.
Tips for Preparing for the Lenten Season
Don’t fret.
We’re almost to Ash Wednesday already. Maybe you can’t figure this out right now. Life is too stressful. Don’t fret.
If you find yourself sitting in church on Ash Wednesday thinking, “Oops. I forgot to give up something for Lent,” don’t fret. God doesn’t keep a report card. Begin the next day. Or the next. Or skip it. Pray about doing this next year.
Replace the sacrifice or choose to add something instead.
No matter what you decide to give up for Lent, you will feel it. And you should. What?! I can’t go to the cupboard and grab that dark chocolate candy? Or buy that new pair of jeans? Or hit the snooze button? Determine ahead of time how you will handle it when the urge strikes. Ideally, you will turn your heart and mind to Christ, to prayer, to Bible reading, because this is the season to remember Christ’s sacrifice.
But if you forget, don’t fret.
Instead of giving up something for Lent, many faithful people decide to add something to their faith walk. (Again, don’t see this as a “must do” at all. Let the Lord guide your choices.) One lovely and simple practice might be to use the Lenten Prayer Path where you choose to pray for one person each day for 40 days. (See the resource below.)
Begin again.
If you fail? Yeah, it happens. You aren’t strong enough. You scrolled your social media feed for longer than your determined 15 minutes or grabbed that chocolate chip cookie from the break room and took a bite. It’s the mindless things that get us every time.
Don’t fret. This is not a test. This is not a checklist for salvation.
What should we do instead of fret? Turn our eyes to Christ and start again.
Lenten Devotional and Prayer Resources
If you would like to add something to your devotional life that will fit with this holy season, here are some ideas!
A Daily Devotion from Your Church
This year my local church is sharing a daily devotion which will be emailed to us every day. I’m super excited about this! Lots of churches offer a similar practice, so be sure to check with yours. If you don’t have a home church, then a simple online search will help you find either a church or a resource or both!
A Book to Walk You Through the 40 Days
This year, I’m reading Charles Martin’s book, It Is Finished: A 40-Day Pilgrimage Back to the Cross recommended by a friend. I heard the author speak at a writing conference last fall, and he is a gifted author and speaker with a love for the Lord. I have loved his books, so this will be a blessing.
Walking the Labyrinth by Travis Scholl is another excellent book I’ve read as a Lenten devotion.
Visual Faith
The Visual Faith® Ministry offers dozens of beautiful and free Lenten resources with devotions and coloring available as digital downloads. I will be doing some of these as well. Here’s a good one. And here’s a devotional walk through the Book of John.
They also offer a Lenten prayer path resource. This is a lovely practice where you print the page and keep it handy, in your Bible or your devotional book. You can write a take-away from your reading or prayer time. Or you can use it for names of people you want to pray for. One added idea is that you could text, write, or call this person to tell him/her you are praying.
Prayer and Devotions
Bible study author and my friend, Donna Snow, offers this free excellent resource on her website.
However you choose to walk through this holy season, I pray that the Lord will fill you with His peace and hope in the resurrection. Soon we will be singing, “He is Risen!”
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