Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
Psalm 139:7
We are blessed to be part of a church that observes the Christian calendar: Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide, Pentecost, and the seasons of Ordinary Time interspersed between. Most of us live our lives by the Hallmark calendar, observing occasions in ways our culture has taught us. Living by the Liturgical calendar offers a different perspective and outcome.
An initial glance at Lent suggests that it is a time to give up something we love for forty days: chocolate, dining out, wine—things that soothe and comfort us. Often, this turns into a forty-day fight with temptation. Giving up becomes giving in, but we congratulate ourselves for inviting suffering into our lives.
Lent has a long history anchored in the time leading up to the Crucifixion.* It is a time of preparation—a time to recall, repent, and prepare our hearts, not necessarily our bodies, to receive the risen Jesus. Leaning in, even rejoicing, as Paul tells us (Romans 5:3), not for, but in our sufferings. We’re not invited to seek out suffering but to acknowledge its existence in our lives and the lives of others while simultaneously being fully aware of God’s presence. Lent is a time to empty ourselves of ourselves; sometimes, we invite fasting, and sometimes we do not. Jesus “emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant…” (Philemon 2:7). We are called to receive Him, follow Him, and do what He did. Lent is an opportunity to practice His lifestyle intentionally.
Consider experiencing a different kind of Lent this year. Begin by offering five minutes of the best part of your day to silence, intentionally inviting God to speak to you. As you do this, place your hand over your heart as an act of receiving. Follow this by slowly reading Psalm 139 (or parts of it) aloud. This Psalm tells you of your belovedness, of His constant Presence with you. Ask Him to bring to mind someone you can serve each day, then obey Him. Ask Him to direct your thoughts to His thoughts. Use the resources offered below to guide you as you practice these things.
If you spend forty days fighting the urge to eat chocolate, you’ll find yourself buying an extra bag of Cadbury eggs for Easter. If you lean in, you’ll rejoice on Easter Sunday.
He is Risen! In you!
Useful Resources:
1. *40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast. Our own Alicia Britt Chole offers a deep dive including a history of the practice of Lent.
2. The Road to Joy: Easter Season Devotional. (https://store.christianitytoday.com/products/easter-2025) Contains 15 devotions from Ash Wednesday through the week of Easter.
3. Lutherans Connect. (https://norththompsonpc.ca/2024/02/lenten-devotions-from-lutherans-connect) An online daily Lenten devotion that comes to your inbox. Music, poetry, nature, and scripture.
4. Pauses for Lent: 40 Words for 40 Days. Trevor Hudson’s beautifully minimalistic book focuses on one word for each day of Lent.