Resources
The forty days of Lent are modeled on the Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, preparing himself for ministry. We take these 40 days to prepare ourselves for the central moment of our faith: Easter.
Lent is a time to intentionally draw closer to God.
Many people “Give Up'“ or “Take On” habits or things as a Lenten discipline.
We have created an article to help you think through observing a Holy Lent. Just click “Read More.”
Jesus faced real physical and spiritual dangers while out in the harsh desert environment. Mark succinctly recounts these dangers when he says that Jesus was tempted by Satan and was with the wild beasts while out in the desert. Jesus also encountered beauty in the protection and comfort he received during this sojourn. The same is true for us.
Click “Read More” to read Bingham’s entire article about Lent.
One way to overcome a sense of abandonment is to genuinely grow closer to God which is what I believe the disciplines and self-denial of Lent are all about. We’re asked to clear away some of the clutter of our lives, be it our fixation on food, our phones, or our incessant busyness, in order to reflect on what really matters, our relationships with God, with each other, and with ourselves.
Read Sharon’s entire article by clicking “Read More.”
As we begin our third pandemic Lent, I’m feeling like the pandemic is more akin to the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness than the forty days that Jesus spent out in the desert! And yet, one of the great themes of Lent is that God is with us through the difficult times. God taught Noah how to build an ark for the stormy forty days. God nourished and guided the Israelites for those forty arduous years of struggle and longing. The angels tended to Jesus during those forty days of deprivation and temptation.
To read Bingham’s entire article, which was originally printed in the Lent Bellringer, click “Read More.”
During Lent, people usually take on special practices to help grow in their faith. Traditionally, these include fasting, prayer, reading Scripture or spiritual books, and giving alms to help those in need. Sometimes people talk about these as practices of “giving up” and “taking on.” We engage in practices of “giving up” to make more room in our life for God; we engage in practices of “taking on” to fill that space with something that draws us closer to God.
Lent is a journey we take every year with Christ through the wilderness. Traditionally, Lent has been a time to prepare for Easter by extra prayer, self-examination, self-denial, study, and acts of charity. Many have simplified this by saying that in Lent we give up and we take on. Through giving up, we open space for God within us; through taking on, we invite God in.
Deepen your faith this Lent by adopting a practice for the season.
