Preparing for Lent

"Lent will be this wonderful season of grace for us if we give ourselves to it. And, we will give ourselves to it to the degree we really want it badly. So, in these days before Lent, we need to prepare our hearts. We need to prepare by realizing how much we want to grow in freedom, how much we need to lighten our spirits and experience some real joy, and how much some parts of our lives really need changing." (from the Online Ministries, Creighton University).

Lent begins in two days (Ash Wednesday). You could, of course, just decide that you are not going to drink Coke (soda pop?) for forty days and be done with it, but that would be to deprive yourself of far more than Coke. You would miss something that God wants to do in you this season.

The first matter of preparation is to understand the purpose of Lent. The Lenten season is a time of preparation and repentance in which we make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. The purpose is not merely an extended meditation on Christ’s suffering and death, but is rather a season to explore and deepen our sense of union with Christ.

The forty day period is symbolic of "repentance seasons" in the Bible:

• The great flood to cleanse the world lasted 40 days (Genesis 7:4)
• The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert traveling to the Promised Land
• Moses stayed on the mountain of God and fasted for 40 days (Exodus 24:18)
• Nineveh was given 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4)
• Jesus spent 40 days praying and fasting in the wilderness prior to undertaking his ministry (Matthew 4:2)

A major focus during Lent is repentance, a term which often gets confused with other terms. Tod Bolsinger, pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church, offers some clarity on the issue.

Many of us are confused about repentance. Some of us think of it as “penance,” that is, atoning for our sins with acts of contrition. But that is not repentance. We can’t atone for what we have done and need not try. Jesus’ work on the cross is our atonement. Some of us think of repentance as sorrow and shame for what we have done, but that is also inaccurate ... the bible has a different Greek word for sorrow. Repentance is literally to “change your mind.” In the famous words of Dallas Willard, “To reconsider your strategy for living based on the news of God’s Kingdom that is available in Jesus.” And that is what Lent is for, to reconsider your strategy for living. To begin a new process of deep consideration and reflection about your life. To reconsider what it means to follow Jesus, to plumb the mystery of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. To reconsider what your strategy for living should be, based on this good news.

So give up Coke if you want to, but don't pretend that the absence of a beverage will sufficiently help you repent and draw near to God.

The second matter of preparation is to consider how you will observe Lent this season. The articles below are helpful toward that end. If you are thinking you don't have time to read all of this, then you are beginning to get a feel for what Lent will require of you.


Honest to God
An insightful article that gets you "in the mood" for Lent. Very insightful reflection as we consider our heart attitudes as we approach Lent.

Giving Up Neglecting God
This article draws from the writings of St. Benedict to help us practice ways of paying more attention to God during Lent. These are practical suggestions for (re)structuring your life in ways that allow you to set your mind more wholly on God.

Preparing for Lent
This is a good article on preparing for Lent in the days leading up to it. I will make this disclaimer regarding this artcile, as well as the rest of the Creighton Collaborative Ministiries resources on Lent: Read with discernment. I am not on board, theologically speaking, with everything on this website. But I have found the authors to be insightful and thoughtful people. You will find a few treasures as you dig through various the links and articles.