I’d love to hear what, if anything, you guys do in recognition of Lent? I grew up in a Baptist church and then went to non-denominational churches and none gave focus to the Lenten season. I have of course given up things for Lent but never in the spirit of becoming, in a small way, acquainted with the sufferings of Christ. I didn’t know that the 6 Sundays during Lent were for celebration and not given to the ‘sacrifice’ you’re making.
The Husband and I have been reading about Lent and plan to observe it with intention this year.
And John Piper and his wife, have a series of Lenten devotions HERE
We’ll also be reading this little book by John Piper…
Most of you probably don’t need this, but honestly I feel I’ve missed an important season due to sheer ignorance. We’ve always been deliberate in the way we observe Christmas but the Easter season has been little more than reading the story of the resurrection, coloring eggs and treats in Easter baskets…which without the whole message, including the suffering of Christ, is really only half of the story.
The Lenten Season starts this Wednesday March 9. And I would love to hear from how you will be observing it this year…
***Update: One of my friends, Gina, told me about THIS post on lent by Edie over at Life in Grace. I loved it & wanted to pass it along…
Love to you…
First, I will go to Church at noon on Wednesday and receive the ashes, marked in the sign of the Cross, as a symbol of repentance.
Next, I will try to follow the 4 letters of LENT. I received this in an email recently and thought it was a great way to remember what we should be doing during Lent.
L – Limit: limit one thing in your personal life, to take away some of the day to day distractions so you have more time to focus on God.
E – Expand: Expand your knowledge and awareness of God by daily reading and devotionals.
N – Nurture: Nurture your relationship with God with daily prayer and worship.
T – Trust: increase you trust in the Lord.
Nan…that is wonderful…thank you for the 4 Letters of Lent…
xo
Edie has a post on her blog with lots of info about lent. It’s interesting to read. http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/
I personally won’t be observing lent because I am Baptist. 😉
Gina~Thank you! That was a great post, I added a link above. xo
I love Nan’s post on celebrating Lent. We do the same – go to church to receive ashes, then give up something we really enjoy on a daily basis in an effort to grow closer to God by experiencing a personal sacrifice for His glory. Thanks for sharing all of the books you read. I love adding them to my list!
I grew up in a tradition that never observed Lent. I had heard of it but still didn’t know much about it. A couple of years ago I challenged the people at the church I pastor to try giving up something for Lent. I gave up caffeine pop. That’s right! No Diet Dr. Pepper. I also read Piper’s book during that time. Great book to remind us of the reason for this time of the calendar year. So much has been going on right now that I lost sight of Ash Wednesday tomorrow. Can’t say what I will do. 🙂 Hope you are doing well Robin.
Thank you for sharing this blog and your links. I enjoyed them all. I am in a church that follows the liturgical calendar and I love observing the passing of the “seasons”. I grew up in this same church but never was schooled by my parents to know what Lent was about. God has a purpose and a plan and now that I’m older, I can really appreciate it and grow into it.
I too, have heard of lent over the years, from my Catholic & Espisc0pal friends, but have never really understood the depth of what it meant. That was a very interesting blog and the links as well. Thank you for sharing the information.
I was raised in a Primitive Baptist Church, where the Grace of Christ is preached, Christ died for his children and It is a finished work! Grace and Grace alone.
One of my favorite lines I just read in the link was ” I don’t overcome sin by my willpower (ha!), but by the strength of Him who has united Himself to me.”
It’s all Him. We can do nothing without Him and his Amazing Grace!
However, I do think this is an honorable notion if one really gives up something that hurts and makes us suffer. Something big, like the cigarette for the smoker. Something that you really rely on day by day, Something that that is really really really important to you. Something that makes you gasp at the thought of giving it up. Otherwise… it just seems ceremonial.
Velvet…I agree that doing something simply for ceremony isn’t the point. I’m so looking forward this year to focusing to the sufferings of Christ and spending more time listening to Him..
I also grew up Baptist, and never observed Lent. My Husband grew up Methodist, and for years we attended a Bible Church. It wasn’t until recent years that we started observing Advent, and Lent. I personally find that they make the “season” and “Holiday” more meaningful.
This morning we ran out to the local bakery for Pazcki pronounced “punchki” . They are wonderful doughnut type Polish pastries, made just for Fat Tuesday. I live in the burbs of Chicago….so Punchki Day is a BIG DEAL. 🙂 I woke up my children before school, and we enjoyed our last sweets for the time. Tomorrow, we will start our personal fasting, attend my Husbands boyhood Church for their Ash Wednesday observance, receive our ashes that signify mourning over our sin, and commit ourselves to daily reflection on Christ and his sacrifice.
Each one of us has given up something difficult to part with. We have created an “altar” of sorts….Nothing scary or elaborate. Just a purple runner, purple candles, and a cross. Purple because it signifies Royalty, and because we know that it is the color of the robe placed at the foot of the cross, by the soldiers. We will gather around and light candles, offer a prayer, read the scripture, and meditate on Christ together as a family after dinner each day. This is in addition to the Bible study that we normally do.
On Sunday’s we will attend Church and Celebrate each week leading up to the Resurrection. I too am just learning about Lent myself….I just found out why there are 46 days leading up to Lent….I had no idea that each Sunday is to be like a mini Easter!! How exciting is that?! You also don’t “observe” your fast on those days! We rejoice in His Resurrection FULLY each Sunday! Now, what a great message that is to send to our children!
Blessings to you during our most Holy season! In Christ, Paula
Paula…that’s wonderful…I too just learned that every Sunday during Lent is a mini Easter!
Thank you for sharing your intentional ways of focusing on Christ’s suffering and God’s grace…xo
For me, the season of Lent represents the time when I became a Christian (April 3, 1985). Back then, God knew that several of my closest family members would die on or near Easter, as well as several other unpleasant things, so He gave me something wonderful to celebrate during Lent — my anniversary with HIM! Instead of dwelling on the unhappy memories, I spend Lent focusing on my relationship with Jesus and the sacrifice He made for me. I was raised a Methodist, and we only have communion once a month, so I do my own communion service at home every week during Lent.
Blessings to you, dear Robin!
Jean
Jean…I love that you have communion every week during Lent…love it. xoxo Love to you my friend.
I grew up Catholic and as a child took part in the Lenten season. I would give up something every lent and usually broke the promise somewhere down the line. This year I fully intend on giving up my biggest craving, sugar. I will not fall short this year and will keep my promise. Thanks so much for this discussion. So many people are not with God and for me I think that’s the main problem with the world today. God bless you and all your wonderful inspiration.
Patsy…I’m giving up sugar as well. I’m completely addicted to it…I will say a prayer for you my friend. xo
Hey All,
I’m not in a church that observes/celebrates lent, but I am one to observe the season – sometimes it’s seemed like more of an ‘acknowledgement’ and not a true observance on my part. Hopefully my decision about lent this year is on track with its intended focus – I’ll focus on giving up (hopefully permanently) ‘negative speak’ or commit to ‘positive speak’ as it falls in line with Eph 4:29 ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen’. My focus is particularly with my husband, but this applies to every relationship and even when we speak to ourselves. Really would love to move to a new level in this area.
May explore something else to sacrifice 6 days a week and celebrate on Sundays. Lord, enlighten us to your will.
I like the added weekly communion idea. Planning on reading the book for new insight too.
Madge…I pray this season marks a turning point in your journey to letting go of negative speak…And I agree with you my dear friend…yes Lord, enlighten us to your will.
xo R
I did not grow up observing Lent. The church we go to now did observe Lent for years and it was a Assembly of God. It is now a non denominational church. Over the years I have given up many things and so has my family for Lent. I haven’t for the past couple of years, but am thinking upon it this morning as I looked at my calender. We do communion on a weekly basis in church to take into account all that He has done for us , most of all the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Without that Lent wouldn’t even matter would it???
Pamela…it’s so true that focusing on the death burial and resurrection of our Lord is the very foundation of (at least my) observation of Lent.
It’s like my faith is based on Jesus coming to earth as a man, every day I pray in Jesus’ name. Every day that’s the essence of my faith still, I intentionally celebrate the Christmas season and that pause always leaves me more tender and aware of the gift God gave in His son…I want to deliberately set aside time during this season of Lent to focus on Christ’s journey to the cross…his death and yes his resurrection. My prayer is that the ‘pause’ will leave me more tender and aware…
xo
I was having a conversation with my 8 year old daughter this morning about Lent. I told her it’s the 40 days before Easter, and it is a time to identify with the sacrifice of Jesus. My pastor husband chimed in with, “It’s also a time for us to recognize our need for the grace of God.” For some reason, that has stayed with me today. I have given up things for Lent (cokes, food, sugar, red meat, etc). It has always felt lacking somehow. I’m unsure what I will give up this time. Praying that mostly I can embrace the grace that I need so badly.
Katie…amen, I pray that as well…that I can come closer to embracing the grace.
Thank you for sharing this…I have the same background as you and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I even did anything for Good Friday..now I attend a Good Friday service…it really helps you feel on Easter the celebration that we should…I will be getting John Pipers book for sure..thanks.
Just wanted to stop by and tell you that I put my 4 letters into a little printable and posted it on my blog today. Stop by and save it if you like! Nan