Reflections on Lent 2021

             Ash Wednesday is this week, which means we are heading into the season of Lent. A few years ago, someone told me Lent is very Catholic and we Presbyterians don’t need to observe Lent. I agree with part of that statement, but I think it’s only half true. Over the years, I’ve come to believe Lent is less about deciding what to give up or what to take on and more about just presence. 

            Lent has a lot of parts to it that I believe are important in our annual faith journeys. In our walks of faith, we have different milestones that happen once over the course of our lives. Baptism is a one-time event, even though we are encouraged to remember our baptisms daily. Confirmation* happens once, you are ordained once (we believe that once you are ordained as an elder, a deacon, or a pastor, you hold that title for the rest of your life, even if you go inactive, unless you do something completely naughty). And some parts of our faith journey happen on a yearly basis. Lent is a yearly thing. Advent. Pentecost. Easter. 

            We don’t often think of Lent as a faith milestone. But I believe that every year when Lent rolls around, it gives us the space to wander back into the familiar stories that make our faith what it is. The stories of Lent – Jesus’ life and journey from the mountain of the Transfiguration to the Cross outside of Jerusalem – are the stories that remind us just how far Jesus went in the spirit of grace and love. What makes it a milestone is that every year when Lent comes back around, we have a chance to remember why we believe what we believe. 

            “For God so loved the world, he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life” (John 3:16, NRSV).

            I think what I appreciate most about Lent is the emphasis on listening. My calendar doesn’t actually slow down in between Ash Wednesday and Easter (I’m a pastor, so go figure!). My guess is that your calendar won’t slow down either just because it’s Lent, which means we need to be intentional in how we observe Lent. Again, I don’t buy into the idea of giving something up or taking something on. I used to, but over time I really think the real gift of Lent is the space to listen. It’s the lengthening of days and the promise that Spring is coming. It’s the promise that the journey may be long and the road uncertain, but at the end of the story, Jesus lives! And because Jesus lives, we live, too. 

            The Lenten devotional I'm using this year is from the group Sanctified Art. Their Lenten theme is Again and Again, which I think is perfect. In their devotional, they write, "Again and again, God invites us into fuller ways of being. There is no better time to accept that invitation than now, when so much is different. Maybe no ashes mark our foreheads today, but they can still mark our hearts."

            So I just want to encourage you to pause today. Think about what Lent means to you. If you dread Lent, why? If you are looking forward to Lent, why? If you’re indifferent, why? Think about what you want Lent to mean to you. And then listen. Listen to how God is encouraging you and challenging you in this season. Listen for how God reminds us that even in the shadows, we’re not just alone in the dark.  


*Confirmation: In our church, a youth goes through confirmation to confirm their baptismal vows and becomes a member of the church. For those who enjoy vocabulary, confirmation is joining by "profession of faith."

Find out more about "A Sanctified Art" here




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