Ash Wednesday marks the season of Lent

Today the Christian Church observes Ash Wednesday. It marks the start of the season of Lent, a time for somber reflection – on our sin, our mortality, and our Savior.

Strange as it may sound to some, I always look forward to Lent as an opportunity to open myself to God in a more intentional or different way. The idea of putting myself in a position to nourish my faith or discover new insights about my life in Christ gives new energy to my one-on-one time with God.

More than that, I think my enthusiasm for this season is because it is the 40-day run up to Easter. And Easter – the celebration of Christ’s resurrection – is the basis for my faith.

If Christ didn’t arise from the dead, then He wasn’t who He said He was, and, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “our faith is worthless” (I Cor 15:14). Without the risen Christ, we remain trapped by sin and those who have gone before us are lost. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied,” said Paul (I Cor 15:19).

In fact, he did conquer sin and death, showing Himself to hundreds of people before his Ascension into Heaven. For this and many other reasons, I am grateful to God for the hope I have in Christ.

Road to glory

But on Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that Christ’s road to Glory was paved with 40 days in the wilderness and his crucifixion. These are the images, words and themes that frame our reflection and contemplation during Lent. As Christ followers, we are called to walk the same road of self-denial, willingly giving more of our life to Christ so that we might gain more life in Christ.

What works for me

My attention to the Lenten season has varied over the years from giving no thought to it whatsoever to making the most of it. As a youngster, I swore off sweets and as an adult I’ve dabbled with fasting from bad habits or activities that distract me from being attentive to God. But I haven’t found either to be especially effective in drawing me closer to Jesus – unless you consider pleading to God for the strength to make it through a day without chocolate a method of bonding with the Savior.

What has worked for me is switching to a devotional resource with a Lenten theme. Several years ago I used Good Lord, Deliver Us by Leonard and Lindsay Freeman, which I found very satisfying. In other years, I’ve used booklets with readings from various authors – C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, and Henry Nouwen, to name a few.

My plan

This year, I plan to read through the Gospel of John. This is the book that opened my eyes to the humanity and deity of Jesus and the reality of God’s deep and abiding love for His people. I trust it will present more insight into the heart of God.

I also look forward to working with Tim Muldoon’s book, The Ignatian Workout for Lent: 40 Days of Prayer, Reflection and Action. The small book offers a daily exercise involving a scripture passage, short reflection, prayer and an action step. In his introduction, the author writes:

“Rooted in the ancient practices of imitation of Christ and the saints, the exercises invite us to drink deeply from the wells of our imagination, that portal through which God’s voice echoes with images and poetry that elude rational calculation.”

It is an invitation to encounter God “not through cleverness of study but through simple attentiveness to the reality of their own lives. To slow down, as it were, long enough to take a long, loving look at the real.”

That is the kind of invitation to which I readily say Yes.

Engaging in the season

There are so many ways to be engaged during the season of Lent. If you generally pray on the fly, you might commit to 10 minutes of focused prayer each day.

Is there something that’s got too big a hold on you – social media, chocolate, negative thoughts? You could devote yourself to fasting from these activities or habits.

You could commit to giving your time or resources to those in need or set out to do an act of kindness each day.

Or maybe you need to dedicate yourself to attending church services more regularly.

Lenten resources for you

If you google “Lenten devotionals,” you’ll get tens of thousands of matches. I’ve listed below just a few of the books and sites that looked interesting to me. I hope they’ll inspire you to engage more deeply in the season of Lent this year.

Sacred Space – A short, guided online retreat to help you engage with God through prayer, scripture and thoughtful reflection.

Sacred Space for Lent 2019 – This is the print version of the online retreat. I used Sacred Space for Advent and found it very helpful in staying focused during the chaos before Christmas last year.

Until Morning Comes: 40 Days of Prayer – Intouch Ministries offers a prayer a day to prepare you for celebrating Easter.

Pray As You Go – a daily (each weekday and one for the weekend) online prayer session that you can do from wherever you are. A ministry of the Jesuits in Britain, it is not a “’Thought for the Day’, a sermon or a bible-study, but rather a framework for your own prayer.” It will take you less than 15 minutes to complete each prayer session using audio guides (with wonderful British accents!) and featuring inspirational music.

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary – Another online daily devotional featuring students of the seminary.

Best Lent Ever – A free email program that guides you on your Lenten journey toward the best version of yourself.

Whatever you choose to abstain from or enter in to, remember that the point is not to earn our way into God’s heart; rather, Lent is an opportunity to identify with Christ in his suffering and death and to prepare our hearts for rejoicing in His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

I’d love to hear what you’ve done on your Lenten journeys and what, if anything, you will do this year. Let me know in the comments below.