Church tradition tells us that in the early centuries of Christianity, baptism often took place on Easter Sunday. Those preparing for baptism would spend the season of Lent in intense preparation—praying, fasting, and receiving instruction.
Lent lasts for forty days, paralleling the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. It is a season to reflect on the cross and Christ’s suffering, but it is also a time of anticipation—the cross is not the end of the story. Easter Sunday is coming!
There is something valuable in this Lenten practice of preparation and reflection. It’s easy to get caught up in hustle culture, constantly moving from one thing to the next—do this, be here, change that about yourself. Sometimes even the Church falls into this mindset—the programme must go on!
So when we are invited to stop, reflect, and rest, we often struggle with the stillness and search for something vaguely productive to do instead.
This year, as Lent begins today on Ash Wednesday, how might this season be an invitation for you to pause, reflect, and be intentional about your spiritual life?
For some, Lent is a time to ‘give something up.’ Traditionally, people fasted from meat, dairy, eggs, and alcohol, mirroring Christ’s time of fasting and suffering in the wilderness. (Fun fact: This is why we have Pancake Tuesday—to use up milk and eggs before Lent!)
But fasting is not about deprivation for deprivation’s sake. Instead, consider:
For some, giving something up is not the right focus for Lent—especially if life is already demanding and difficult.
As a parent of small children and having endured multiple years of sleep deprivation, I have found recent Lenten seasons to be not the time to embrace the ascetic life. Instead, I have looked for ways to be more intentional—practicing gratitude, courage, faithfulness, and generosity.
I have tried to be deliberate about saying thank you—to the checkout assistant, the call centre representative, the school patrol volunteers—as well as cultivating gratitude as a posture of my heart.
If you’re unsure where to start, consider choosing one word for Lent—something you want to take up.
Use it as a touchpoint each day. Ask yourself:
Every day is a new chance to be intentional.
For some, Lent might involve reassessing what is taking up too much space in life.
A social media fast may seem cliché, but for those whose brains are wired to seek the dopamine hit of endless scrolling, it might be an important discipline. If TikTok, Instagram, or news feeds have become automatic go-tos, Lent could be a good time to retrain your habits.
Instead of turning to distraction, consider turning toward:
Lent is also an invitation to engage with God in a different way—perhaps by changing how you read Scripture.
If you usually read a few chapters a day, consider going deep rather than broad.
I find it helpful to have a quiet space, a pen, and paper.
When distractions come—whether it’s my to-do list, my kids, or a theological rabbit hole—I jot it down and re-centre myself with the Scripture.
This practice allows the Word to take deeper root. Often, years later, these verses resurface unexpectedly, becoming a word in season.
There is no single right way to participate in Lent.
If you’re unsure what to do, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. He promises to draw us into all truth and lead us into abundant life.
Living God,
This Lent, help us to give up, take up, and draw near to You.
We thank You for the Cross and for the Resurrection.
Meet us in both the close and cloistered and the wild and wandering spaces of our lives.
Direct us back towards You.
Help us to walk faithfully before You in all seasons—both those of joy and sorrow.
Amen.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Church tradition tells us that in the early centuries of Christianity, baptism often took place on Easter Sunday. Those preparing for baptism would spend the season of Lent in intense preparation—praying, fasting, and receiving instruction.
Lent lasts for forty days, paralleling the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. It is a season to reflect on the cross and Christ’s suffering, but it is also a time of anticipation—the cross is not the end of the story. Easter Sunday is coming!
There is something valuable in this Lenten practice of preparation and reflection. It’s easy to get caught up in hustle culture, constantly moving from one thing to the next—do this, be here, change that about yourself. Sometimes even the Church falls into this mindset—the programme must go on!
So when we are invited to stop, reflect, and rest, we often struggle with the stillness and search for something vaguely productive to do instead.
This year, as Lent begins today on Ash Wednesday, how might this season be an invitation for you to pause, reflect, and be intentional about your spiritual life?
For some, Lent is a time to ‘give something up.’ Traditionally, people fasted from meat, dairy, eggs, and alcohol, mirroring Christ’s time of fasting and suffering in the wilderness. (Fun fact: This is why we have Pancake Tuesday—to use up milk and eggs before Lent!)
But fasting is not about deprivation for deprivation’s sake. Instead, consider:
For some, giving something up is not the right focus for Lent—especially if life is already demanding and difficult.
As a parent of small children and having endured multiple years of sleep deprivation, I have found recent Lenten seasons to be not the time to embrace the ascetic life. Instead, I have looked for ways to be more intentional—practicing gratitude, courage, faithfulness, and generosity.
I have tried to be deliberate about saying thank you—to the checkout assistant, the call centre representative, the school patrol volunteers—as well as cultivating gratitude as a posture of my heart.
If you’re unsure where to start, consider choosing one word for Lent—something you want to take up.
Use it as a touchpoint each day. Ask yourself:
Every day is a new chance to be intentional.
For some, Lent might involve reassessing what is taking up too much space in life.
A social media fast may seem cliché, but for those whose brains are wired to seek the dopamine hit of endless scrolling, it might be an important discipline. If TikTok, Instagram, or news feeds have become automatic go-tos, Lent could be a good time to retrain your habits.
Instead of turning to distraction, consider turning toward:
Lent is also an invitation to engage with God in a different way—perhaps by changing how you read Scripture.
If you usually read a few chapters a day, consider going deep rather than broad.
I find it helpful to have a quiet space, a pen, and paper.
When distractions come—whether it’s my to-do list, my kids, or a theological rabbit hole—I jot it down and re-centre myself with the Scripture.
This practice allows the Word to take deeper root. Often, years later, these verses resurface unexpectedly, becoming a word in season.
There is no single right way to participate in Lent.
If you’re unsure what to do, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. He promises to draw us into all truth and lead us into abundant life.
Living God,
This Lent, help us to give up, take up, and draw near to You.
We thank You for the Cross and for the Resurrection.
Meet us in both the close and cloistered and the wild and wandering spaces of our lives.
Direct us back towards You.
Help us to walk faithfully before You in all seasons—both those of joy and sorrow.
Amen.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
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