Lent

With March this year comes Lent, and with it the invitation to fast and slow. A time to slow down, reflect, and prepare for Easter, as well as a traditional time to fast also. Because fasting is giving up something for a while, is a spiritual discipline that is at the heart of Lent. One that that helps us mature in our ability to deny ourselves as we take up our cross to follow Jesus. Stopping to actively say no, for the sake of a better yes… just as stopping to pray into the needs of our world and the situation in Ukraine rightly invite our focus.

People choose many different things to abstain from, and the choosing is important. Choosing something good, something that we treasure, something which has a meaningful cost attached to it. Real choices within real life for these weeks. People often choose things like caffeine or alcohol, or social media, or cake. What is it that fits the bill for you this year?

Does that sound like an interesting sort of journey to explore on the way to Good Friday and Easter beyond? Well if it does then here are a couple of travel sugguestions for the way: Lent is for ordinary Christians, just like you and me. These disciplines are not for the ’super spiritual’, they are for people like you and I, imperfect people who are open to knowing and growing more day by day. Not being a ‘good enough’ Christian is no reason not to give this a go, and actually it’s meant to be a little bit hard, which is why...

Never forget that you’re not doing it alone. Fasting can make you grumpy, it can make you feel tempted - you might have little battles with your emotions and your self-will especially as time goes on. That’s the point - don’t give up, that’s when it get’s real and we begin to experience God’s grace in the midst of it all - up close and personal - right there bedside you.

Fasting requires willpower. But its not about beating yourself up… be kind to yourself, rest when you need to, do it with someone else if that helps keep you on track.
Don’t moan. Lent is serious but not sombre - scripture actually warns us that this sort of moaning whilst fasting is just a way of showing off as it draws attention to ourselves! Maybe even commit to keeping your fast a secret? This is a personal journey of dying to yourself rather than one of telling everyone how much you are dying! It’s an inward-looking discipline - one of opening our eyes, not one of darkening our hearts.

Fast or slow? Lent is an invitation to a spring-clean in our souls. I’ve found that choosing to put off one thing, and put on two things in habit and formation is really helpful. What will you choose…?

Here’s a short reflection from Ash Wednesday, and here are some resources that we’ve prepared in support over these coming Lenten weeks. Tracking some Encounters with Jesus across the gospels to connect and deepen the beauty of your faith. What will the journey to Easter Day shape and produce in you? The heights of joy in Christ’s resurrection are more easily seen against the dim background of the Lenten journey.

May you find Jesus close beside you this Lent as you journey with him?