In
many church denominations, today begins Lent. The United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops describe Lent as a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and
giving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the Thursday before Easter.
It's a period of preparation for the celebration of the Lord's Resurrection.
During Lent, the church asks us to seek the Lord in prayer, read Scripture, serve by giving, and practice self-control through fasting in one form or another. While we are encouraged to practice these disciplines all year long, Lent places special emphasis on consciously setting aside the time to do them.
Lent is a call to true repentance, an inner conversion of the heart. Lent urges us to turn toward God and seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. It is an opportunity to examine our thoughts, words, and deeds through the eyes of our Heavenly Father. It is a time to recognize our sinfulness and the need for salvation, a time to truly turn away from, not just regret, our bad habits and wrongdoing.
"Ash Wednesday is the perfect opportunity for us all to recommit to many of the things we know we need to do," says Alex Jones, CEO of the prayer and meditation app, Hallow. “For some, it could mean prayer and meditation. For others, it could look like fasting from certain foods or social media. It might be serving at a local shelter or being more generous in our giving. Whatever it is, Lent is the perfect time to take just 40 days and commit to it," Jones said.
Dr. Mark Zeigler, speaker of The Lutheran Hour, suggests setting aside two uninterrupted hours to read or listen to the Gospel of Mark. Consider doing it once a week, for each of the seven weeks in Lent. Zeigler points out that Mark was an evangelist, and his Gospel can energize us for evangelism as he tells us about Jesus. I think I will give it a try!
How will you journey with God during Lent this year?
Be encouraged!
©2024 Pamela D. Williams.
