WHEN IS LENT?

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 22) and ends at the Easter Vigil, sundown on the eve of Easter. The 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays, which remain "feast days" or "little Easters." Even in Lent, Sunday is a feast of the Resurrection.

WHAT IS LENT?

Lent is the commemoration of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. There he prayed and fasted before being tempted by Satan to shortcut the will of God and secure his own glory—a cross-less glory that would fade with the world. This commemoration is a time to join Jesus in prayer, fasting and self-giving. It's a time to reckon with our sins, but also the wondrous depth of God's saving love - to be especially mindful, not miserable. “Lent” comes from an Old English word derived from the German “lang” meaning “long” because, during this season before Easter, the hours of daylight become notably longer.

WHY DO WE OBSERVE LENT?

The importance of this question lies in the recognition that there is nothing we can add to the achievement of Christ by his death and resurrection. Everything we have is a gracious gift from Jesus. And yet, the Christian life isn't only about justification and assurance of salvation. It's also about repentance and holiness - the desire to regularly return to and follow God's will for our lives, confronting those sins that wound us and the world we inhabit. By disrupting our usual pursuits to seek the Lord in repentance, self-giving, and self-denial, we offer ourselves to God in order to be further conformed to the image of his Son. We observe Lent because we want our hearts and lives to be transformed and because we want, even now, to participate in the world to come.

The first Sunday of Lent always begins with the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. In Lent, we are following our Lord for a season of trial. As we sing during the sequence hymn in Lent, “By grace through faith we have been saved and not by our own efforts. The Spirit dwells within our hearts to train us in the desert. We follow Jesus there, where Satan set his snare, to learn to conquer sin and quell passions within with fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.” Ultimately, the journey of Lent is a journey with Jesus. If we have been united with him, that union includes being with him in the desert to fast, pray, and overcome sin, death, and the devil through the Son who conquers the serpent.

WHO IS LENT FOR?

The short answer is everyone. If you have been united to Christ in baptism, Lent is a means for you to participate in his sufferings. Yet, this question raises a very important detail: Repentance isn't just an individual spiritual journey. It's for the Church. We are knit together as one Body. Each of us and all of us together represent new creation and new humanity unfolding in every generation. Lent is for Christ’s Church and the whole Body of Christ to enter this wilderness again together in humble faith and with a keen desire for renewal.

HOW SHOULD I OBSERVE A HOLY LENT?

Pray about it. The traditional ways of observing Lent are through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. More than anything, Lent is about a posture. The things we do during this season help us remain in or recover a posture uniquely focused on Jesus. When we set aside time for prayer, when we serve or give in a special way, or when we fast from the pleasures we're used to, our attention moves toward Jesus. And he meets us there, as he promised. Inevitably, practices of self-denial reveal some things about us that can be ugly and in need of more mercy and grace. Friends, Jesus never runs out of either. As you pray, consider some of these suggestions to observe Lent.

  • Lenten Disciplines: Increase prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

    • Prayer: During the season of Lent we are called to increase our prayer. If you do not do so already, consider praying Morning and Evening Prayer (using your Book of Common Prayer or the Daily Office website). As a church we are all praying for two unsaved people, for growth in both services, and for the financial resources to continue the work God has called us to do. Perhaps you can increase the number of times you pray for these commitments.

    • Fasting: According to the Book of Common Prayer, “Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and Good Friday, the day of our Lord’s Crucifixion, are traditionally days of special devotion and total abstinence… The weekdays of Lent and every Friday of the year (outside the 12 Days of Christmas and the 50 days of Eastertide) are encouraged as days of fasting… Fasting, in addition to reduced consumption, normally also includes prayer, self-examination, and acts of mercy” (BCP 2019, pg. 689). Fasting (whether complete abstinence from food or limiting meals) can be dangerous and is not advisable for children, those who are ill (physically or mentally), or pregnant or nursing mothers. In Roman Catholic practice fasting requires eating only one meal and up to two snacks that combined would not equal a second meal. Some simply abstain from one meal. Some abstain from all food and simply drink water. Seek the Lord’s will for how he may be calling you to fast in this season.

    • Almsgiving: Almsgiving, or giving to the poor, is a calling for all Christians, but in Lent we increase our giving. Consider donating the money you would have spent on meals to give to those suffering in Turkey and Syria or to support one of many development projects.

  • Exodus: Read a chapter of Exodus every day of Lent.

  • Obtain a Lenten devotional resource:

  • Ascetical Disciplines: Lent is a time when many Christians increase their dependency on God through ascetical disciplines. Is there something that God is calling you to say, “No,” to so you can say, “Yes” to God? Prayerfully consider whether God might be leading you to an increased season of discipline this Lent. As St. Paul says in his first letter to the church at Corinth, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

    • Fast on Wednesdays and/or Fridays (see details on fasting above).

    • Practice regular, intense exercise.

    • Sleep on the floor instead of your bed in solidarity with those who have no place to rest their heads.

    • Give generously of your time and resources to a charity (see some charitable examples under Almsgiving).

    • Commit to increased times of prayer (see suggestions for prayer above).

    • Get a full night’s sleep (at least seven hours is recommended).

    • Abstain from alcohol.

    • Abstain from desserts and sweets.

    • Abstain from eating between meals.

    • Take short, cold showers.

    • Abstain from soda or sweet drinks (white milk, black coffee, and black tea are permissible).

    • Abstain from television, movies, or televised sports.

    • Abstain from video games (phone, console, or PC).

    • Abstain from non-essential material purchases.

    • Only listen to music that lifts the soul to God.

    • Only use the computer for work, school, or essential tasks (e.g., paying bills).

    • Only use mobile devices for essential communications; cut out non-essential texting, app, and internet use.

FURTHER RESOURCES ON LENT

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES