It seems strange to say, but the season of Lent is already upon us. This year Easter falls on April 5 (or April 12 if you're Orthodox), which means that for most Christians denominations, Lent begins this Wednesday. Since I did a series of posts on Advent, I felt it was only right that I do something for Lent and Easter thing year. After all, without Easter, Christmas is basically just the story of the birth of another peasant boy. I should begin with a disclaimer though: I did not grow up celebrating Lent. As I think I might have mentioned during my posts on Advent, I did not grow up in a liturgical church, and while we did celebrate Advent (or at least we lit the candles of the wreath at the beginning of the service), that was about it for observing the church calendar. I attended non- and inter-denominational Christian schools though, and have been exposed to other Christian traditions over the years. I first learned of Ash Wednesday when, in fourth grade, my good friend, who was Catholic, asked if she still had ashes on her forehead. I thought she was joking. My junior year of high school I attended my first Greek Orthodox service to celebrate Pascha (aka Easter) and two years later I observed my first Maundy Thursday in Riga, Latvia of all places. My senior year of college was the first time I attempted to actually observe Lent, and the next year, since there was no observance of Holy Week at my home church, I went to the nearest Catholic church to attend their Easter Vigil, which required some extra concentration because they alternated between English and Spanish for the entire service. All in all, I guess you could say my experience with Lent has not been the most traditional, so this post won't be either.
My goal for this post is to simply give people some ideas (40 to be exact -one for each day of Lent) for how they might observe Lent, especially if they never have before. I do not expect, nor would I recommend, that anyone try to do all 40 of these ideas. They're merely here as a possible suggestions, and they're certainly not all typical, traditional ways of observing the season. Traditionally Lent is a time of penitence, reflection, fasting, and, especially during Holy Week, mourning. There is indeed great joy on Easter Sunday, but the joy of Christ's victory is only fully seen and understood after you understand His sacrifice and the need for it. In light of that, I've included in my list five main themes of ideas for observing Lent, from the traditional and personal, to ways that we can continue God's work of restoration and reconciliation throughout our church body, global community, and with all of creation. If you don't like an idea, that's fine. Feel free to ignore it. I'm no expert on Lent. I do suggest that you try something that challenges you though. After all, no one said the Christian life is easy.
Traditions of the Church (6 Ideas) -Here are five traditions and rituals with a long history among Christians of all traditions.
- Give up meat... and maybe some other food -Full vegan or just vegetarian, every day of Lent or just Fridays, giving up meat during the Lenten season unites you with a Christians across the world and throughout the ages. Different traditions recommend abstaining from different foods during Lent, but meat is always a common denominator, which is why I highlighted it first. However, there are different approaches to Lenten fasting. For anyone who's interested, I'll include links at the bottom to further describe the Catholic and Orthodox traditions of fasting, but here's a quick overview: Catholics tend to abstain from meat on every Friday of Lent (for reasons I won't go into here, fish is not considered "meat," which is why some food sellers will have fish specials on Fridays). The Orthodox traditions are a bit more stringent. They typically prescribe abstaining from meat, fish, animal-derived products (dairy, eggs, etc.), wine, and oil all throughout Lent. Shellfish are still considered acceptable however. On Saturdays and Sundays, which are seen as resurrectional in nature, the fast is lifted slightly to allow for oil and wine. If you've never done a fast like this before, I'd suggest maybe starting with just doing no meat on for Lent, or at least no meat on Fridays. I will be posting a meat-free recipe each Wednesday of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, for anyone who'd like to try this, but aren't quite sure what meals to make.
- Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday -The definition of fasting depends a bit on your tradition here. The Catholic tradition tends to define fasting as allowing for only one meal for the day, with the allowance for some other food at the traditional meal times, so long as the additional food does not add up to another meal. The Orthodox view tends to be more along the line of completely abstaining from food, as much as possible, until after the Paschal service. No matter the tradition though, exceptions are always made for those for whom fasting would not be a good idea, such as the young, elderly, sick, pregnant, or nursing.
- Celebrate Holy Week -The triumphal entry of Palm Sunday is followed by the increasing darkness and solemnity of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Ultimately this leads to the joy of the resurrection on Easter Sunday, but often Christians in non-liturgical churches miss out on the time of mourning that precedes it. If your church doesn't celebrate Holy Week, maybe visit one that does, or find ways to observe these days on your own.
- Practice the Divine Office (aka Liturgy of the Hours) -The Divine Office is a way of dividing up the day and marking each section with prayer, psalms, and meditation. This tradition goes far back in church history and can be seen in Orthodox, Catholic, and many Protestant traditions. Typically observed by at least the clergy, monks, and nuns, Phyllis Tickle has produced multiple works to make it easier for the common lay person to observe the Liturgy of the Hours. If I remember correctly, her books have 5 times for prayer each day (some traditions have up to 8). This might be something you choose to do for all of Lent, or maybe just a week. For anyone wanting to try, I'd recommend Tickle's Eastertide: Prayers Through Lent from the Divine Hours.
- Walk the Stations of the Cross -Beginning with St. Francis of Assisi, walking the Stations of the Cross is a way to meditate on Christ's death and sacrifice. There are traditionally 14 stations, beginning with Christ's condemnation to death and ending with his body being laid in the tomb. This is typically done on Good Friday or Holy Saturday. If you don't know where to go to do this, the local Catholic church is often a good bet.
- Use purple -This one might seem odd or silly, but traditionally purple is considered the color of Lent. Trying to incorporate this color into your life more during this season, even in small ways like writing in your journal using a purple pen, can be a simple way of maintaining awareness of this time.
Reconciliation in the Church (8 Ideas) -Christians across the world are the body of Christ, God's representative to the World. During the Last Supper Jesus even prayed for our unity (John 17), but more often than not we seem to focus on the few things that divide us rather than the many, many things that unite us. Here are a few suggestions for bringing reconciliation and oneness with fellow Christians this Lenten season.
- Visit another church -There are so many reasons to suggest doing this. First of all, different Christians worship in different ways and that's not a bad thing. You may feel most comfortable in a church that sticks to quietly singing hymns accompanied only by an organ, and that's fine, but every once in a while it might be good to be reminded that other denominations try to worship with all their senses (thus incorporating changes in body posture or incense) and others emphasize God's creativity by producing music and art and dancing of their own. God created such diverse people for a reason, and we should enjoy it. Secondly, spending time with Christians of other denominations reminds us of things we may have forgotten, like our common history and beliefs. When we are reminded of our similarities, we have greater opportunities and motivations for working together as the universal church. Lastly, yes, there will be differences, but it is much easier to discuss those differences with someone when you've taken the time to understand them, and to get to know the other people as people and fellow followers of Christ. If for some reason you can't visit another church, maybe check out Ed Cyzewski's series "Denomination Derby."
- Invite someone over for a meal -Hospitality, and eating in particular, was huge in the early church. Let's make it so again. There is just something about sharing a meal with someone and getting to know them over food that cannot be replicated merely by a "meet and greet" time at church.
- Learn about a saint/Christian hero -You can either pick a new person to focus on each day or week, or maybe just focus on one person for the whole of Lent, but learning about the Christians of former days is a great way of remembering that the Church is not simply the Christians who are alive today, but also all those who came before us, and all who will come after. Furthermore, often you will find that the Christians you research have encountered similar struggles as you, and reading about their journeys can give you wisdom and inspiration.
- Read a "Christian classic" -Similar to my point above, there is so much to learn from our fellow Christians, whether those long dead or those still living. There are far too many suggestions I could put here, but for some of the older classics (such as Augustine's Confessions or St. John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul) the Christian Classics Ethereal Library has many works available for free. For more modern works, most libraries have a good selection of the works of C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, G. K. Chesteron, Charles Spurgeon, Timothy Keller, N.T. Wright, Brother Lawrence, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Sayers, Oswald Chambers, Corrie Ten Boom, and so many others. For some suggestions, here's this list of 25 books or this list from Goodreads.
- Read some fiction -Lessons about truth need not only be communicated through works of non-fiction. Stories can communicate powerful truths and ideas in areas where straight forward theology sometimes struggles. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and Cosmic Trilogy might be some of the best known examples of fiction communicating Christian ideas, but they are not the only ones. Relevant recently published this list of 12 Fiction Books that Will Shape Your Theology if you're looking for suggestions.
- Read a Christian you disagree with -Again, going back to my reason for visiting another church, discussions about differences go so much better when you actually take the time to understand the other person's perspective. It's easy to dismiss someone and their ideas if you never take the time to listen. So, whether it changes your opinion or not, maybe this Lent you could find someone you've heard about, but have never actually heard, and take the time to get to know their position. Maybe the title Jesus Feminist freaks you out, or you've heard that Rob Bell's Love Wins is nothing but heresy, or perhaps the concept of Christian hedonism (found in John Piper's book Desiring God) sounds absurd, or you can't understand how the people at Biologos think Christians can believe in evolution, or you don't know what to do with a blog post called When God Calls a Complementarian Woman Into Ministry -whatever it is, don't be afraid to be challenged, to wrestle with the issues, and to debate them as adults who are part of the same family.
- Pray for suffering Christians around the world -Some members of our Christian family are suffering because of natural disasters or other calamities. Others are facing institutionalized persecution. Just this week 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded by ISIS and Pastor Saeed Abedini has been in an Iranian prison since 2012. Whatever the cause of their sufferings, consider joining with other Christians to pray for Christian brothers and sisters across the world and seek ways to meet their needs.
- Pray the prayers of the Church -Whether you go through the Book of Common Prayer, pray through the psalms, pray the recorded prayers of different saints, or simply try to pray the Lord's Prayer each day, this is another way of connecting yourself to the Church as a whole, both past and present, and learning from their wisdom and experiences. There are plenty of resources online or at the library. If you'd like to be creatively inspired as well, I recommend Valerie Sjodin's Paintings, Prayers & Passages, which combines Valerie's art with prayers from church history and passages from the Bible. It's both lovely and inspirational. Full disclosure: I know Valerie in person, so I might be a bit biased, but I still highly recommend checking out her book.
Reconciliation in Society (12 Ideas) -There is a lot of discord among people these days. Whether it's the local protests against racial inequality or international conflicts like what we see in the Middle East, people are at odds with one another. Maybe this Lent you can try to continue and spread God's work of reconciliation by becoming a peacemaker or easing the sufferings of others or simply try to understand their trials. Here are a few ways you can do that.
- Research a conflict -In my undergrad years I took a class on peacemaking, simply because it was the only class that would fit my schedule and fill my last core requirement. It ended up being one of my favorite classes of my entire college career. One of the projects we had to do was research a conflict in the world, specifically one where people were using their religions to work for peace. Not all the conflicts we learned about have been resolved, but we all learned to better understand the causes of these conflicts, and how each of us could sow seeds of peace, even in the most hopeless seeming situations.
- Research a social movement -Similar to the above, take the time to learn about a social movement where people were advocating for their rights. Whether or not the movement succeeded, learn about the causes, who the players were, what was done well, what could have been done better, and then ask yourself what you would do in their shoes. Finally, as I'll suggest in the next point, ask what you can do now. If you don't feel you have time to do extensive research, even watching a film is a good place to start. Learn about the start of the United Farm Workers union with César Chávez, or how the women of Liberia demanded peace in Pray the Devil Back to Hell, or choose any of so many good options to gain perspective on the American civil rights movement.
- Become a voice for the voiceless -Most of the people reading this are from the U.S., Canada, or assorted European countries. That already makes you more wealthy and privileged than most people in the world. Use that privilege. Use that power. Do good. Be inspired by the stories of past struggles to find out how you can become a voice for those who have no voice, whether they be minorities, women, the unborn, or people with disabilities. It could be as simple as suggesting that your city begin using the new accessibility signs designed by the Accessible Icon Project, or you could read Half the Sky and advocate for women's rights around the world, or, like the people of my home state of Oregon, you can say advocate for healthcare for everyone, even if they're only in the area for a season.
- Prevent conflicts -What I mean here is, similar to what I said earlier about reading the thoughts of Christians you disagree with, find other groups of people you disagree with and try to understand their view. If you think people promoting national healthcare for all are Commies in disguise, read T. R. Reid's The Healing of America. If you think people can do whatever they want to animals, see why PETA says American practices aren't always ethical. If you think religion and science will always be at odds, read this. If you think racism no longer exists in America, hear the last words of 10 unarmed black men. Whatever the issue, and whether or not you ever change stances, take the time to hear the other side so that if conflict arises, you can actually address the issues and talk things out in a civilized manner.
- Consider adopting a child/doing foster care/raising money for a family that wants to adopt -There are a lot of children in the world that need love and a family. UNICEF estimates that there are 153 million orphans (defined as having lost at least one parent) worldwide, and the CCAI says that just in the US there are almost 400,000 children living in the foster care system. That is a lot of need and suffering to be relieved. The thing is, it's not always easy. Domestic adoptions of infants can take a while because there are more couples waiting to adopt than there are infants. However, there are lots of older children still looking for a home. You could adopt one of these children or consider doing foster care. You can also consider adopting internationally, though this can also take some time. Or maybe you're not really in a position to adopt a child right now, but you'd like to help others. If you know of someone going through the adoption/foster care process, ask them what they need. Maybe it's simply prayer or some baby-sitting. Maybe it's financial help. Maybe you don't know anyone currently in the process, but you'd still like to help. Some of my friends were able to fund their second adoption thanks to a grant from Show Hope. Contributing to organizations like this can help others provide homes for children all over the world.
- Pray for your enemies -I'm hoping that no one reading this has "real" enemies, the kind of people who'd kill you if they could, but chances are everyone has someone who just drives them crazy. Maybe it's the classmate who always asks 500 questions. Maybe it's the customer who makes the lives of all service workers a misery. Maybe it's just the guy who cut you off on the highway. Whoever it is, maybe the next time you find yourself stewing over their most recent act of annoyance or aggression, pray for them (and praying for a smiting doesn't count).
- Buy fair-trade -You might not be able to do this for all foods yet, but buying fair-trade is a simple way to ensure that the people who produced your food were given fair wages and treated well, rather than exploited, as is so common nowadays.
- Sponsor a child -Organizations like Compassion International and Worldvision make it possible to help sponsor a child and ensure that they receive adequate food and have access to education. It's a small way to have a big impact on one person's life. If this is something you choose to start doing during Lent, just know that this is not something you can do for just a few weeks. If you commit to being a sponsor for a child, you are committing to do this for years. It is so worth it, and $38/month is not much when you consider all the opportunities you are providing.
- Give of yourself -Ever thought about donating blood or signing up to be a marrow or organ donor? Now could be a perfect time to do this. The Red Cross website will help you find a blood drive near you, and Be the Match and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will show you how to become a bone marrow and/or organ donor, respectively.
- Live on less than $2/day -Most of the world lives on very little. Perhaps for a week, or even all of Lent, you can try to understand their lives better by similarly living on just a few dollars each day.
- Just drink water -Give up drinking all beverages except water for Lent and use the money you would have spent otherwise to help provide water for someone else through organizations like Blood: Water Mission.
- Volunteer at homes that care for others -Whether or not you like McDonald's or approve of their practices, the Ronald McDonald Houses have helped many families throughout the years by providing a place where family can stay when they must move closer to a hospital in order to obtain care for one of the children. Other places, like Hope House in Boston, offer housing for people recovering from substance abuse. Homes like these are all over the country, and often small things like bringing in a meal for the families can be a real blessing. Similarly, you can also find a soup kitchen or homeless shelter in almost any metropolitan area that would love a donation of time, clothing, food, or money.
Restoration of Creation (5 Ideas) -Honestly, cutting down on/giving up meat, even for a short amount of time, does a lot of good for creation. The environmental impact from the meat industry, not to mention the obvious impact on the animals themselves, plus the less obvious (but similarly devastating) impact on slaughterhouse workers, is immense, destructive, and well-documented. If you're looking for other ways to join in God's mission of restoring all of creation during this Lenten season, here are some suggestions to get you started.
- Learn about the environment and ways that Christians can become better stewards and love our neighbors worldwide -An excellent resource for this would be "Loving the Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment." It's a short little read addressing how human actions affect the natural world and how such actions are harming all of us from people to plants to animals. It gets its title from the fact that often the people least able to cope with a changing environment (e.g. Inuit in Canada, refugees in Bangladesh, Nomadic herders in Nigeria, etc.), are often those who are hit first and hardest by such changes. You could also check out Green Revolution: Coming Together to Care for Creation.
- Go outside -Perhaps part of the reason why modern Americans don't value creation much is that they spend so little time in it. It's hard to remember how connected life on this planet is if you don't see it on a regular basis. So maybe for Lent you could start a habit of going on walks. One of the things I loved about German culture was how many people spent their Sunday afternoons on walks. You could give that a go, either solo, perhaps praying, or with others. Whatever you do, try to do at least something outside. Enjoy the creativity of God, displayed in plain sight.
- Adopt an animal -If you've been thinking of getting a new pet, consider getting one from a shelter. There are some great animals out there who need a home and, in most cases, if they're not adopted within a certain time period, many shelters will euthanize them. Prevent that and give them a new home. Chances are the shelter workers will be very knowledgeable about each pet and will be able to help you pick out the perfect pet for your family. If you can't adopt, consider volunteering at a shelter, even if just once.
- Start a garden -When Lent begins this Wednesday, it'll probably be too cold outside for most people in the US to begin planting (after all, New England just got hit by the third blizzard in three weeks). That being said, you could always start seedlings inside and plan a garden for the summer. Whether you grow produce, flowers, or even just a window herb garden, growing plants not only makes you a bit more sustainable, but also teaches you patience, love for plants, and a greater understanding of what it means that a seed must die to bring forth fruit.
- Shop at a farmers market -Chances are that even if you grow a garden, you still won't be able to provide everything you need. Consider getting your other groceries at a local farmers market. Most cities have one now, and shopping there will not only let you help your neighbors by supporting them financially, but small farms are often more likely to use more ethical farming methods, meaning that the chickens laying your eggs weren't condemned to lives in tiny cages and your produce wasn't sprayed by chemicals that have negative effects on other plants and animals. It's a small thing, but it could be a big step for fostering increasing stewardship of creation. If there's not a farmers market open near you during these winter months, look into where you can find one when the spring comes.
Personal Growth (9 Ideas) -Here are some final suggestions that focus less on your relationships with others, and more on your relationship with God, or simply as a Christian.
- Give up something -This is probably the most common way the Christians observe Lent these days. Obviously giving up meat is the most traditional and historical form of giving something up for Lent, but it's not the only way. Typically, fasting has multiple purposes, from removing something that distracts you from God, or by allowing you to share in Christ's sufferings (in a very small way), or simply serving as a reminder to refocus on God each time your mind goes toward the object of your fast. Because of it's multiple purposes, a fast is not restricted to food alone. Many Christians today fast from social media, or caffeine, or video games, or Netflix, or what have you. If you want to go this route I'd recommend picking something that will actually be a bit of a struggle for you, deciding ahead of time what you'll do if tempted to break your fast, and finding ways to keep yourself accountable.
- Redirect funds -I touched on this earlier with the idea of just drinking water for Lent, but if you decided to fast from something for which you often spend money (like a daily cup of coffee), maybe try putting aside the money that you would normally be spending on that item, and at Easter take the money you've saved and put it toward a charitable purpose. You could donate it to a local soup kitchen, or use it buy clothes for the homeless, or perhaps use it to fund charitable operations around the world.
- Be still -Practice the lost art of silence this Lent. However you do it, whether you set aside a particular time each day or simply attempt it once, try to find a time at least once during this Lenten season where you remove all distractions and quiet your mind and simply be still.
- Focus on keeping the Sabbath -In theory, this one should be easy. Really, it's a command to relax. Yet so often this is a command that modern Americans overlook and one that I find myself failing at most weeks. Try it though. Really treat the Sabbath as holy and, following the lead of the Jews, prepare for it ahead of time so you can truly make it a day of rest. If you're a student, get your schoolwork done on Saturday. If possible, don't be scheduled for work on Sundays (this isn't really a possibility for some professions, like pastors, so in those cases I'd recommend using another day as your Sabbath). Just take the day to fellowship with other believers and to spend quality time with God. Leave the other anxieties and concerns until Monday.
- Decide on a character quality you'd like to improve -Maybe you'd like to become a more patient person, or perhaps you find it hard to rejoice in all circumstances. Whatever the character quality, pick something you'd like to improve on, and then find some Scriptures or books or sermons on the subject. Try to come up with tangible, measurable ways to track your progress. If you need ideas, the fruits of the Spirit are chock full of suggestions.
- Pick a word or passage to focus on -One Word 365 encourages people to pick one word to focus on for the entire year, sort of as an alternative to making resolutions. Maybe for Lent you could choose a word or theme to focus on for the entire season, or maybe you could choose a different one for each week. Many Christian traditions already associate each week of Lent with a theme or story from the Bible if you need some ideas. Alternatively you could pick a passage of Scripture to meditate on throughout Lent. In the links I've provided at the bottom, Rachel Held Evans gives some excellent suggestions.
- Do a daily devotional -If you'd like a daily meditation or devotional to go through during Lent, there are so many options available. Two years ago I went through N.T. Wright's Lent for Everyone (Year C), and I would highly recommend it. Each book in his series goes through one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke for years A, B, and C respectively) over the course of the Lenten season. At the bottom of this post I've included multiple lists of book suggestions for Lent, so you can take a look and see what you'd like. I'll personally be reading The Grand Paradox: The Messiness of Life, the Mystery of God and the Necessity of Faith, which isn't exactly set up as a daily devotional, but I think it will work well.
- Replace music with prayer -If you're like me and you listen to music, podcasts, the radio, etc. on the way to work or school, maybe try unplugging for a week and use the silence to pray or meditate or gather your thoughts or simply become more aware of the world around you.
- Memorize Scripture -This is a good idea year-round, but if you've never done it before, Lent is a great time to start. Whether you pick one passage for all of Lent, or maybe a passage for each week, you can't really go wrong.
I hope these suggestions are helpful to people, or at least serve as a springboard for further thoughts and ideas. Pick one or pick more, I look forward to journeying through Lent with Christians around the world. For anyone who decides to go meatless this season, I'll be back every Wednesday with a vegetarian recipe.
In case anyone is wondering why Lent is only considered to be 40 days when there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, the reason is that Sundays aren't considered part of Lent. In theory, if you give something up for Lent, on Sundays you don't have to fast. That being said, it's often easier to maintain a fast if you just keep going, but it's different for everyone.
Lent with Catholics
Lent with the Orthodox
For other ideas on how to celebrate Lent, each year Rachel Held Evans offers up 40 ideas. Here are her suggestions for 2010-2014:
For more book suggestions
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