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Lent: Preparing For The Joy Of The Resurrection

February 22 thru April 6



Lent is the season leading up to Easter, during which Christians symbolically follow Christ into the wilderness, fasting from lesser things so we might be filled with the greater things of the gospel.


Lent is about the gospel. It is a time to narrow the focus of the Church to the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, to turn from our sin and trust in His atoning work. The season of Lent lasts approximately 40 days, excluding Sundays, between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.


In our context, it is easy to get lost in the cultural expectations of Easter and miss out on the meaning. Lent is a reminder that the Resurrection only occurred after the crucifixion. Rather than skipping over the ministry and crucifixion of Christ, Lent is a season to prepare ourselves for the joy of Resurrection Sunday as we enter the sorrow and pain which preceded it.


WEEKLY FASTS

Each week, we have suggested an area of fasting to apply to our lives. Far from a mere responsibility, these weekly fasts give us opportunities to pursue greater communion with Christ. By emptying our lives of commotion, clutter, and noise, we hope to find greater room for Him to speak through His Word. Rather than simply subtracting something from our lives, this is an opportunity to add something greater. 

Although encouraged to pursue a complete fast on many of the weeks (i.e., abstaining completely from the area of the week), there are two weeks in particular in which you are encouraged to plan ahead the degree to which you will engage in the fast. Weeks 1 and 7 are not expected to be absolute fasts.

Week 1 involves a fast from food. You may choose to fast from one meal a day; others will do an entire day; others still might choose a fast of multiple days.

Week 7 involves a fast from sleep. You are neither expected nor encouraged to abstain from sleep for the entire week. However, the hope is that we might set our alarms an hour or two earlier, stay up an hour or two later and devote one entire night or morning to prayer.

Additionally, participants should consider the possibility of building each week upon the next. For instance, an individual could continue the Week 1 fast into Week 2 and so forth to eventually do all seven fasts together. Again, this is not intended to be a burden but rather an opportunity and should be stewarded as circumstances allow. If we are to follow Christ in the wilderness, it will take some degree of discomfort and inconvenience. May we begin to prepare our hearts accordingly.

WEEKLY FAST SCHEDULE

Week 1: Food
Week 2: Television and Movies
Week 3: Social Networking and Internet
Week 4: Caffeine and Sweets
Week 5: Radio and Music
Week 6: Shopping for Non-Essentials
Week 7: Sleep

You can access the Lent Journey Guide digitally below.

This guide contains weekly fasts, prayers, and Scripture readings to help you along your Lent journey.

Lent FAQ

click the arrows below to read the FAQ Answers

Lent is about the gospel. It is a time to narrow the focus of the Church to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to turn from our sin and trust in His atoning work.

The season of Lent lasts approximately 40 days, excluding Sundays, between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The 40 days have obvious biblical parallels in the flood narrative (Gen. 6-8), the giving of the Law to Moses on Sinai (Exod. 24:12-18), Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:1-12), and Jesus’ fasting and temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 1:9-12, Luke 4:1-13). The last of these accounts is most relevant to the season.

Celebrated each spring as the days begin to lengthen (the term Lent is from a Saxon word meaning “lengthen”), Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter Sunday. It is marked by periods of fasting and feasting. Each week, participants traditionally fast during the week and feast on Sundays. This pattern continues throughout the season as the Church journeys toward the Holy Week commencing on Palm Sunday. The final period of Lent is often referred to as the Triduum, beginning on Maundy Thursday and continuing through Easter Sunday.

In our context, it is easy to get lost in the cultural expectations of Easter and miss out on the meaning. Lent is a reminder that the resurrection only occurred after the crucifixion. Rather than skipping over the ministry and crucifixion of Christ, Lent is a season to prepare ourselves for the joy of Resurrection Sunday as we enter the sorrow and pain which preceded it.

This guide walks you through the seven weeks of Lent. Each week includes a reading from the life of Christ in the Gospel of Luke, as well as four supplemental passages to consider throughout the week. Additionally, there is a suggested fast to coincide with each week.

Each Sunday, you should read the provided passage from the life of Christ and also consider journaling, discussing, praying through, and rereading the narrative and supplemental texts throughout the week. This process will hopefully stir up a few questions:
1.What do these passages of Scripture reveal about the nature and character of Christ?
2. What do these passages reveal about your own heart?
3.How can you respond to God’s provision in His Son and Spirit in light of your own deficiency?


As Lent is not intended to be pursued merely on Sundays, this guide is not intended to be picked up one day a week. We can only truly enter into the tradition of Lent by establishing a rhythm of consistency. You are encouraged to spend time considering how and when you will pursue the joyful disciplines of reading, praying, meditating, and fasting during the season.

Many people think of fasting as giving up food, but it can be so much more than that! You can fast from food (Daniel fast, water/liquid only, no sweets, no soda, etc.) or something else in your life (TV, video games, social media, etc.). Remember... the goal is not just to stop drinking soda or watching TV, but to create more space to spend time with God and hear from Him. Here are some tips we have as you decide how to fast:

Think and pray about what fast you feel would be best for you! If you’re not an avid TV watcher, it won’t be as helpful for you to fast TV. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, giving up desserts isn’t too difficult. Choose something that is meaningful to you.

Write down what you’re fasting from. You’re much more likely to stick with it if you have it written down!

Keep your focus on God. It will be tempting to brag or complain about what you’re fasting. Will this fast be uncomfortable? Hopefully, yes! But let those uncomfortable moments be an arrow pointing you back to prayer.

Choose one (or several) accountability partners to share your fasting with to help you stay accountable during these three weeks! These are the people you can be honest with about your struggles and revelations.

**Before you give up food: check with your doctor.** DO NOT put yourself at risk in any way. There are many other ways to participate!

Don’t worry about the level at which you participate. You may see other people doing “major” fasts and start to compare yourself to them. Remember - you chose your fast because of what it means to you. If you start a small fast and find yourself wanting to eliminate more distractions, feel free to adjust accordingly!


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