Lenten Season 2021

What is Lent?

Lent is a season of reflection and sacrifice among Christian believers to strengthen union with Christ and unity with one another. 

It is connected to the 40 day fast of Jesus at the outset of His public ministry where He faced temptation away from faithfulness. 

It is also connected to the church’s preparation for Easter, which is the most significant observation for the Christian believer. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, of His victory over sin, death, and Hell, of the ultimate hope for humanity. 

When did the Church begin to observe Lent?

The earliest practices of lent are lost to history, but by the second generation of church leaders (those who followed the apostles), most observed a day or two long preparatory fast leading up to Easter. For some, it was a 40 hour fast connected to both two full days minus a night of sleep and to Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. By the Council of Nicaea in 325, the practice was so widely practiced among the churches that it was formalized to include 40 days leading up to Easter (minus Sunday’s). 

Why does Missio Dei observe Lent?

At Missio, we are not necessarily looking for new ways of doing church. We are striving to remain faithful to an unchanging God, through an unchanging gospel in the midst of a constantly changing culture. Most often, this requires looking back at church history, and around at global church communities and striving for unity. Ultimately, we desire to be faithful to the calling of unity among the church that is so prevalent.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” -Ephesians 4:1-6 ESV

What can we do to observe Lent?

Traditionally, Christian believers have participated in various fasts from both mealtime and luxury to both focus on the need for the bread of heaven and to be reminded of Jesus’ condescension from the luxury of Heaven. Fasts can be daily, weekly, and/or season long and should be driven by an attitude of grace and joy, instead of law and obligation. Sundays are historically excluded from fasting.

Some ideas you may want to consider include fasting from a meal per day or week to focus on quiet time with the Lord. The hunger you may experience should remind you to be hungry for the righteousness of God. Some families and individuals choose a day per week for general fasting (drinking only water) while others may choose differently. There is joy in being creative in how you fast.

The Hannah family will be taking the week of February 21 to eat only beans and rice for all meals as those are the staples of the world’s poor. The money we would have spent on groceries and dining out will be offered to our Compassion International sponsorship in Redencao, Brazil.

Lent isn’t only a time of fasting. It should be a time of spiritual feasting and can include the use of a Lenten Devotional plan to guide you through the season. In order to keep things simple and unified with our entire family, the Hannahs will be utilizing this reading plan in the Bible App because the readings are succinct and the calls to action are creative. We invite you to consider joining us. The Korte family will be utilizing Paul David Tripp’s Lenten Devotional, Journey to the Cross because Pastor Matt is a bit of a fanboy of PDT and the Conrad family will utilize this plan from Noel Piper on desiringgod.org.

Ash Wednesday kicks off the Lenten season and is observed with solemn gathering. This gathering will be both in-person and livestreamed and take place on Wednesday, Feb. 17. You can register to attend this gathering here.

Holy Week is the culmination of the Lenten Season. It begins on Palm Sunday (the week before Easter) and will include daily resources from Missio, including a guide to host a Passover meal on Holy Thursday, a Good Friday observance, and additional in-person gatherings on Resurrection (Easter) Sunday.

We love this time of year and are prayerful that it will strengthen our communion with Christ, one another, and with the historic and global church.

Submitted by: Kurt Hannah