I think I started celebrating Lent when I was in college. I didn't remember hearing about it growing up in Black Baptist culture so it was not something I fully understood. I knew that we celebrated Jesus' resurrection on Easter but preparing for that celebration never crossed my mind. As I learned more, Lent seemed like the Easter version of Advent. I did grow up with a clear understanding of lighting Advent candles, singing Christmas hymns and reading nativity responsive readings. Advent always seemed to give us time to pause in the midst of the rush of the Christmas holiday; a time to pause so that we could remember and prepare for the celebration of the arrival of our Savior into the earth and more personally, into our lives. Lent is another opportunity for us to pause.
Lent is a time for Christians to reflect and prepare before the celebration of Christ's ultimate sacrifice of death and his ultimate power in resurrection. This season is typically characterized by a 40 day period of prayer, fasting (personal sacrifice) and giving. The thought is that through these actions we are able to shift more of our focus toward Christ.
Lent is in no way "mandatory". It is a personal choice. We have a suggested reading plan for Lent and will be sharing reflections through blogs along the way. If you want to take this moment of pause with us, come right on!
Quick Facts:
1. Lent 2020 starts Wednesday, Feb. 26 and ends on Thursday, April 9. Sundays are seen as a "mini-Easter" and are not included in the 40 day count.
2. Fasting (in the traditional sense) usually means to cut out food. More modern versions of a lenten fast include sacrifices of various things including food, television, social media, music while driving, purchasing clothes, etc. Whatever you decide, fill that space with prayer and time with God.
3. Giving is also a component of Lent and what better thing to give than the gift of Jesus? Share the message of the Gospel with as many people as you can this Lent season.
