Throughout the Bible, God calls his people to times of remembrance, celebration, and even lament. In the Old Testament there were rich times of physically remembering God's goodness, grace, and miraculous provision. Passover, for example, is a time to remember how God set his people free from their oppressors. It involves food, prayer, conversation, and more - all for the purpose of allowing our physical bodies, our minds, our hearts, and our souls to engage in remembrance and worship.

Lent falls in line with this ancient tradition of physical remembrance. It is the 40-day period before Easter where we enter into Jesus' journey toward the salvation of humankind as he sacrificed himself on the cross. It is also patterned after Jesus' 40-day fast at the very beginning of his earthly ministry. During these 40 days we deny our physical bodies something. Why? Paul David Tripp, in his book, Journey to the Cross, says it this way:

Lent is about remembering the suffering and sacrifice of the Savior. Lent is about confessing our ongoing battle with sin. Lent is about fasting, and not just from food; we willingly and joyfully let go of things in this world that have too much of a hold on us. And Lent is about giving ourselves in a more focused way to prayer, crying out for the help that we desperately need from the only one who is able to give it.

In short, we give up something physical because we deeply need something spiritual. We need to be with Jesus, to be like Jesus, and to do what Jesus did. Lent is a time to be with our Savior, to be like him as those who rely on our Good Father, and to do what he did by denying ourselves, feasting on his goodness, and giving to others. 

As a church, we are engaging in Lent as an opportunity for God to reframe our situations as we look deeply into the true story of our Saviour.

AS A CHURCH WE ARE DOING THIS IN TWO WAYS:

Join us for a daily Bible reading through the book of Luke. During each day's bite-sized look at a part of the life of Jesus try to place yourself in the story. Picture what it would be like to be on the scene walking with the Savior - seeing the sights, smelling the smells, and feeling the emotions. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you, encourage you, and show you how you fit into the Big Story that he is writing.