Guide for Observing Lent
Pastor Jared and Pastor Tim have a conversation about the Lent season and how it relates to us as a church and our youth. Our Children’s Director Amity Alicea is also emailing Lent resources to parents of our young children.
What is Lent?
Lent is the six-week period leading up to Easter. It’s one of the most important times of year for many Christians around the world, particularly those within the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions, held at a similar level of importance to Advent – the build-up to Christmas.
While Advent is a celebration and a time of great anticipation, Lent is more frequently seen as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. From its start on Ash Wednesday until its conclusion on Easter Sunday, Lent has been a traditional time for fasting or giving something up, or abstinence. Just as we carefully prepare for events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or birthday, Lent invites us to make our minds and hearts ready to remember Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
What do Christians do during Lent?
These days, Christians around the world observe Lent in many ways. Many from more orthodox and traditional denominations will still observe the fast strictly, beginning with the wearing of ashes on Ash Wednesday and abstinence from meat, fish, eggs, and fats until Easter Sunday.
Others will choose to give up just one item for Lent, more commonly a “luxury” such as chocolate, meat, or alcohol. It is also becoming increasingly common for people to give up other things in order to refocus their faith during this time, such as watching TV, going to the gym, and even social media.
Many Christians also use Lent to study their Bibles and pray more intensively, making use of the many devotional books and courses now available.
What is fasting?
Fasting is a prayer with the body in which we practice denial of ourselves. In its most foundational expression, fasting is abstaining from eating food and instead turning to prayer when we feel the pangs of hunger. For example, a person may skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then during the times they would normally eat, they would spend in prayer.
Recommendations for Fasting
Step 1: Define Your Fast
Set aside 20-30 minutes to pray through what God would have you fast from during Lent. This fast should be a form of physical self-denial. Examples:
Not eating any food one day per week
Not drinking alcohol
Not ordering food delivery to your house
Not buying online
Not driving
Step 2: Focus Your Fast on Prayer
When you begin your fast, make sure it’s a practice of self-denial that has prayer as its primary focus. (This should not be about other motivations, such as losing weight or saving money.)
For example, if you choose not to buy anything online as your fast, you can make your trips to brick-and-mortar stores (if you still need to buy something) a time to pray as you walk the aisles. If you choose not to drive as your fast, then utilize your time walking, biking, or on the bus or train as an opportunity to pray.
Step 3: Count the Costs
Each of these fasts will have a self-sacrificial cost – which is the point! Allow your longing or hunger pangs to be calls to prayer. Likewise, keep track of the actual dollar amount of skipping meals or not ordering on Amazon, and tally up the total for the next step.
Step 4: Give to Those in Need
With the amount of time or money you accumulate from your fast, give this away to those in need around you. Whether they are the unhoused neighbors or a needy family in your building, as you give to them, bless them in the name of Jesus. This may look like giving money or volunteering your time.
Step 5: Break Your Fast
Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus, which is available for us as His disciples as well. On Easter, we break our fasts and celebrate! On that day, make sure to eat that sugar, drink that wine, or go for a joy ride as a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, power, and grace!