About Lent
Lent is about the gospel. It is a time to narrow the focus of the Church to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to turn from our sin and trust in His atoning work. The season of Lent lasts approximately 40 days, excluding Sundays, between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Originally a preparation period for those desiring to be baptized, Lent eventually became embedded into Christian tradition as a season for the Church to symbolically follow Christ into the wilderness. It is a time for fasting and self-denial, though not for denial itself. It is a period to empty ourselves of lesser things so that we might be filled with the greater things of the gospel. Whereas Advent is a season of ever-increasing light awaiting the incarnation of Christ, Lent is a season of ever-decreasing light approaching the cross. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter Sunday. It is marked by periods of fasting and feasting. Each week, participants traditionally fast during the week and feast on Sundays. This pattern continues throughout the season as the Church journeys toward the Holy Week commencing on Palm Sunday. The final period of Lent is often referred to as the Triduum, beginning Maundy Thursday and continuing through Easter Sunday.
The Plan
My plan is to follow along with a lent guide that The Village Church is doing as my church does not follow any sort of liturgical calendar. I was originally going to fast social media for 40 days but the more I looked at the lent guide & the different weekly fast's & thought about how to include my family I started to think how much we all would have to sacrifice & die to self by following this guide. I encourage you to dig in with your local church for the Lenten season or if they do not do anything join me as I walk through this guide. I will be posting each week of the guide on the blog here & you can always download it.
Weekly Fast Schedule
- Week 1: Food
- Week 2: Television and Movies
- Week 3: Social Networking and Internet
- Week 4: Caffeine and Sweets
- Week 5: Radio and Music
- Week 6: Shopping for Non-Essentials
- Week 7: Sleep
Resources
- Lent Guide
- Seasons of Lent from The Village Church
- Free Lent Worship Songs from Bobby Gilles
- Valley Of Vision Puritan Prayers
Parts of this are taken from the Seasons of Lent Guide from The Village Church.
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