The Invitation of Lent
This upcoming Wednesday officially begins the 40 days of Lent in preparation for and leading up to Easter. At True North, we want to guide and prepare our congregation for that celebratory Sunday so we can truly understand the weight and joy that day will bring.
What is Lent?
Many of you may be asking, well what is Lent? It's a 40-day season of spiritual preparation for Easter that mirrors Jesus' time of fasting and prayer in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). This isn't something new, rather it's an ancient tradition within the church where early believers would observe a period of fasting and reflection before celebrating Easter. While different denominations and traditions have varied in how they practice Lent, all are united in purpose: to prepare our hearts to commemorate Jesus's suffering and death, and to celebrate his glorious resurrection.
The name "Lent" actually comes from an old english word meaning "spring" or the "lengthening" of days. Just as spring brings new life after winter, this season prepares us to experience the new life Christ brings through his resurrection.
How should we practice Lent?
The main goal here is preparation. Like Advent, Lent helps us build understanding, acknowledge our need for a Savior, and ultimately experience deep joy in celebrating Christ's death and resurrection. Easter can easily pass by like any other Sunday, but Lent invites us into the deeper, more intentional celebration that our Savior's resurrection and the forgiveness of our sin truly deserve.
So how can we practically prepare?
Fasting - Fasting isn't about suffering for its own sake, but about allowing our hunger to reorient our hearts toward God and Christ. Digital and social media fasts have become popular in recent years, but the ancient practice of fasting from meals often does the most to reorient not only our hearts but our bodies to Jesus. When we feel physical hunger, it becomes a reminder to hunger for God and depend on him rather than our own appetites.
Self-examination - To best prepare for Easter is to daily remember why Christ had to go to the cross. Lent is an invitation to examine ourselves each day, confess our sins honestly, and bring ourselves back to the Lord. We've just introduced the prayer of examen in our Community Group curriculum, which would be a great practice to adopt daily during this season.
Scripture - Reading God's Word daily throughout these 40 days helps us see and realize that all of Scripture points toward what we celebrate on Easter—Christ's death and resurrection. From the Old Testament prophecies to the New Testament fulfillment, God's entire plan has been moving toward the cross and the empty tomb.
Practicing Lent Together
We would invite True North to practice Lent with these three movements:
Commit to fasting for 40 days - As mentioned earlier, fasting one meal per day is often the simplest form of this practice, but choose whatever will truly reorient your heart to Christ. This could be technology, coffee, entertainment or a specific habit, we simply ask to ensure to pick something that will be a genuine sacrifice.
Daily practice of the Prayer of Examen - We believe the Prayer of Examen is a great daily tool that combines silence and intentional prayer to help you slow down and truly prepare your heart for Easter Sunday.
Daily Lent Calendar - We've prepared a daily reading calendar (also below) with verses from both the Old and New Testament so you can be reminded each day through God's Word of how all of Scripture points to Christ.
