Welcome to this LENT GUIDE.
Lent is a word with latin roots that can be translated to our english word, "spring" and means to lengthen the daylight hours. For Christians it marks the 40 days leading into Easter and was traditionally observed by Christians to remember the 40 days Jesus fasted, prayed and overcame temptation prior to his three year ministry on earth.
Observing lent allows us to...
- Remember we are connected to a larger Church family of Christian faith who has been practicing lent for centuries.
- Do some spiritual spring cleaning to taking inner inventory of what is getting in the way of our own spiritual growth.
- Choose to fast from something in order to make room for God. Common things people choose are (a meal, social media, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, television, spending habits, etc.) We fast to help bring Jesus more into focus.
- Read Scripture, particularly around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In this lent guide is a daily reading plan to help you. We will be reading through the book of Mark over the next 40 days together.
Take a moment to consider how you might choose to fast during this lent season. Pray that you would grow in your faith as you read through the book of Mark. Consider when and where will be the best time for you to read scripture each day. You may also want to get a notebook to jot down a few of your thoughts each day to keep a brief record of what you are discovering about Jesus and about yourself. As a church we pray our lengthen days will help us to linger in the presence of God and the grace of Jesus Christ.
