What is Lent? Why does it matter?
Throughout church history, Christians have observed the season of Lent—40 days of fasting in preparation for Easter. The Lenten season always begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days (Sundays do not count towards the 40 days – they are already the Lord’s Day, a resurrection day, a feast day) until it reaches its culmination in the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
For centuries Christians have practiced Lent as a way of acknowledging and focusing on our deepest need for Jesus and our hopelessness apart from his life, death and resurrection. Lent is a powerful way of pointing and redirecting our hearts to the beauty of God’s love and grace toward weak, helpless sinners. Lent is usually observed through fasting and building new habits and rhythms that connect our hearts to the presence of God.
Here’s how it will work
There are three action steps we will be practicing as The Crossing Church:
Attend the Ash Wednesday Service (March 5)
Observe Lent
Celebrate Easter (April 20)
Ash Wednesday
We began our observance of Lent with an Ash Wednesday service. This was a prayer gathering with a specific emphasis on repentance, grace, and forgiveness.
We observed the imposition of ashes—where ashes are used to mark the forehead in the shape of a cross. Ashes are the result of burning. This burning in our lives is from our own sins and follies and from the abuse of others, and ashes represent both. They remind us that we are living in this mortal world, this fallen world, and that we are made from dust. We are mortal and will return to our Maker.
Ash Wednesday Service
Date: Wednesday, March 5
Time: 6:15pm
Place: The Crossing Church
observing lent
At its simplest, Lent is a season where you commit to a deeper holiness and more vibrant discipleship. The season of Lent is 40 days long – modeled on Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Sundays do not count towards the 40 days – they are already the Lord’s Day, a resurrection day, a feast day. The last day of Lent is Holy Saturday – so Lent ends with Easter Sunday.
“Lent is a season where you commit to a deeper holiness and more vibrant discipleship.”
what will you give up?
Long misunderstood as a form of works-righteousness, Lenten fasting is not about scoring points with God, but rather emphasizes simplicity for the sake of others. By temporarily carving away some comforts or conveniences, good gifts from God himself, we hope to de-clutter our hectic lives, allowing us to focus. Simple living allows us to reserve time for others while also serving to curb our expenses. It is fitting to allocate these savings, along with other gifts, for charitable purposes, especially directing those funds to the poor and marginalized.
So search your heart and go simple. Consider fasting from types of food, technology, and/or sources of entertainment. Live frugally, and do so for the sake of charity. Find a cause, or better yet a person, and give sacrificially. And, in so doing, may you know the joy of Jesus who gave himself fully to us. Here are some ideas, but prayerfully consider what the Spirit may be prompting you to do:
Sugar
Social Media
Television and/or Movies
Bread or Meat
Coffee, Soda, or Alcohol
News
Remember that Sundays do not count towards the 40 days – they are already the Lord’s Day, a resurrection day, a feast day. Therefore, Sunday is a day we can take a break from our break and celebrate the goodness of God as we enjoy eating something sweet or catching a movie with the family.
Additional Resources:
Celebrate Easter Sunday | April 20th!
“Lent prepares us to celebrate the wonder and promise of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.”
From his article on Lent, Chuck Colson writes:
Here, Jesus trampled down sin and death, defeating the Devil (Heb. 2:14-15). After a season of depravation, highlighting the grim reality of our broken creation, Jesus’ resurrection floods our grief with life and light. In other words, Lent prepares us to join the disciples in their joy and bewilderment on that strange morning long ago (Mt. 28:8; Mk. 16:8; Lk. 24:12). Our Easter worship is a dress rehearsal for our Lord Jesus’ return when he comes to unite heaven and earth, making all things new (Eph. 1:10; Rev. 21:1-8).
And so, I invite you to a holy Lent. Take up the opportunity to dwell upon the grief of our broken world, the sin within your heart, and the deep love of God that exceeds these realities. Reflecting on the hospitality of God, consider the needs of your neighbor, especially those without life’s basic needs. And, most importantly, in the gritty details of Lent, don’t forget—Easter is coming!
Join us as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday, April 20th!