Lent Resource Guide

Written By Royce Yuen

For many of us, Lent may be a familiar practice that we’ve found ourselves participating in since starting life with Jesus. Meant to parallel Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness, the days leading up to Easter often consist of the “giving up” of particular foods, drinks, or behaviors that we might find distracting as we deepen our faith. For those of us who didn’t grow up participating in Lent — not to worry! ALL of us still have much to learn about how to enter into this Lenten season intentionally.

Historically, “Lent” is an old English word meaning “to lengthen,” originally meant to symbolize the literal “lengthening” of daylight that comes with each passing Spring day. For many Christians, Ash Wednesday begins a 40 day period of practicing the spiritual disciplines of prayer & fasting in observance of the sacrifice & fasting that Jesus himself exemplified, culminating in His death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter).

Because the 40 days prior to Christ’s resurrection embodied much suffering and grief, Lenten season is an opportunity to soberly remember and create space for the grief & suffering still ever present in our personal lives, and our world today. By intentionally practicing spiritual disciplines throughout Lent, we invite God’s mercy and power into that suffering & grief; believing that the coming of Easter will both symbolize and materialize the hope we have in Christ’s healing power for our world.

The late Rachel Held Evans wrote an incredible blogpost sharing 40 Ideas for Lent that provided these 5 helpful questions to consider as we approach Lenten season. Her post (written in 2015) also provides meditations/scripture, and fasting/spiritual disciplines that one might find helpful.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, how will I be different? What am I preparing for? 

2. Is there something in my life—a habit, a grudge, a fear, a prejudice, an addiction, an emotional barrier, a form of excess—that keeps me from loving God with my heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving my neighbor as myself? How might I address that over the next 40 days? 

3. Lent is a time to listen to God, but sometimes God speaks through others, particularly the poor, oppressed, marginalized, and suffering. To whom should I be listening this season? How can I cultivate a listening posture toward others whose perspective and experiences might differ from my own? 

4. Is there a spiritual discipline—praying the hours, lectio divina, the examen—that I’ve always wanted to try?  How might I alter my daily routine to include one of these disciplines? 

5. The cycle of death and resurrection is central to the Christian faith. In what ways is that cycle present in my life right now? Where might there be necessary change, suffering, death and decay, and how might new life emerge from those experiences?

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lent. Pastor Jermell leads us in a brief 2-minute Ash Wednesday liturgy and provides guidance in applying an ash cross on your forehead with the Ash Wednesday take-home kit that was provided during service.

Additionally, we invite you to take some time to contemplate and reflect on the significance of Ash Wednesday using this doodle guide.

Resources to get you started on your 40 Day Lenten journey:

Writing, Music, Art:

Devotionals:

Regardless of however we choose to participate, God desires to meet with each of us throughout these 40 days (and onward). Take some time today to ask God what you might be called to further press into this Lent, and perhaps share it with a friend or co-op member. Though we’re not doing an official church-wide fast this Lenten season, deepening spiritual discipline is even better when done with others!

Royce Yuen