Lent is a traditional season of fasting and prayer that leads up to Easter. The practice of Lent is at least 1700 years old, with some of our oldest references coming from the early fourth century (325). Throughout the Old and New Testament, fasting is a practice to help the practitioner grow closer to God by learning to rely on him and to emulate the practice of Jesus in the wilderness where he proclaims “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

Lent is a season that is designed to help us repent of our sin. As we struggle with our fast we are reminded of the fickleness of the human condition. This draws us into the mystery of Easter where God himself is offered as a sacrifice for our sin, but he is raised to new life.

We must be prepared to give up some things if we intend to get things that are even more important.

Joan Chittister, The Liturgical Year, 101.

If you are hesitant to participate, I encourage you to pick something small to give up. Perhaps a certain kind of food (pop, as an example) or a habit (watching tv before bed) and see how you respond. But give yourself grace. Put simply, no one wins at lent.

Here are some resources:

We put together a Travel Companion to help you navigate the season of Lent, and we have a half page document describing Ash Wednesday.

Esau McCauley’s book, Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal is a helpful overview of the season, part of the Fullness of Time Series published by InterVarsity Press. Purchase it here.

Kate Bowler, PhD from Duke University has written a wonderful daily devotional guide that is free for everyone. You can find it below.

Joan Chittister’s chapters on Lent are helpful to orient us to the themes of the year more succinctly than McCauley. There is a scan, you can download here:

Richard Foster’s chapter on Fasting from Celebration of Discipline is a classic guide for how to fast (and how to end a fast) well. I have provided scans below.