The season of Lent is here! Why is that exciting? Allow me to explain. This is the time of year that we prepare for the sacrifice (Mark 15:33-40) and resurrection (Mark 16:1-8) of Jesus Christ. It begins today, Ash Wednesday, and concludes on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter (if your math brain alerts you that I just described 46 days, you’re right, but the tradition excludes the six Sundays).
40 days derives from the same amount of time Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness and where he resisted Satan’s temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). Today, we put ashes on our forehead to humble ourselves before God as part of God’s creation. Additionally, we focus more on our faith and consider what we can do to be more like Christ. Often, that leads some people to fast during the lenten season (learn more about fasting).
How Can I Participate in Lent?
We offer numerous opportunities for you to grow and sacrifice in the name of Jesus Christ. Keep in mind: this is a church tradition. There is no objective, biblical standard for how to celebrate Lent. The beauty therefore is that we can make it personal to our own walk with God. If you find that you aren’t praying as much as you’d like, commit to praying more. If you find that you spend too much time on social media, fast from it. Even little sacrifices like choosing not to eat sugar during Lent allows you to experience a similar sacrifice to the one Jesus made.
Lent is much more than fasting, though. It’s also about learning, serving and sharing our faith. To learn, I encourage you to open your Bible. The book of Matthew, or one of the other Gospels–Mark, Luke or John–is a good place to start. Currently, I’m taking a course on the book of Matthew, so feel free to ask any questions! If you’re looking for a little more inspiration, here are some daily devotionals by laity of our conference titled, Walk with Jesus. Additionally, anyone is welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings for Bible studies available for all ages.
Though our church is not offering any specific service events this lenten season, there are still plenty of opportunities for service. Serve food at Ronald McDonald House; contact ECCHO Food & Clothing Pantry to help or donate; or simply visit someone, to name a few. Lastly, it’s essential that we share our faith, especially this time of year. Tonight and Sunday, you’ll find nails with purple ribbon on the back table. As part of a cooperative outreach with Milton United Methodist Church, we encourage you to carry that nail with you and pass it on to someone else. This nail represents the sacrifice Christ made and serves as a great conversation-starter to invite a friend or stranger to church.