I heard someone in the store the other day ask what Lent was. The simplest explanation is Lent is to Easter what Advent is to Christmas. Advent however is a time of Joy while the mood for Lent is more somber as it is the perpetration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The goal of Lent is to be a time of reflection, preparation, and prayer.
Lent is a shortened form of the Old English word lencten, meaning “spring season” and is the six weeks leading up to Easter. Lent this year starts on February 22nd, 2023.
There are many traditions that are practiced during lent depending on your denomination. Fasting, Lenten sacrifice, and alms-giving are three of those traditions. Fasting is practiced as a way to focus on Christ without distractions. The sacrifice of something represents the act of removing idols that stand between you and full devotion to Jesus. Alms-giving is the act of giving the equivalent of your sacrifice to someone in need. All three acts allow you to reflect and open your heart to Jesus and are set aside as a way to encourage prayer and worship.
There are many different ways to celebrate Lent. I would like to encourage you this year to get into the word for Lent 2023. Each week there will be 5 passages of scripture to read. Each one reflects a different part of Jesus’ story,
leading up to His Resurrection on Easter.
Will you join me on this journey through Lent as we prepare our hearts for Easter? To start let us look inward and identify any sin that needs to be corrected. Confess that sin to God and spend time in prayer over it. Then choose something to fast from. Chocolate, Soda, TV, and Facebook are some of the many options.
Once your heart is ready take a look at the Sunday Night post that lists the scripture for the next week. As you read and reflect consider journaling your thoughts and reflections on Christ’s life.
Let us spend this time leading up to Easter in the word, celebrating Jesus.
Simply,
Jess
