Lent is the period of 40 days, excluding Sundays, leading up to Easter. Traditionally, Christians use this time to remember Jesus’ period of preparation for His ministry when He withdrew to the desert.
These days Lent tends to be associated most with cutting things out (chocolate, coffee, meat etc.) and that is appropriate as Jesus fasted during His time in the desert. Luke 4 tells us that Jesus ate nothing for 40 days and at the end He was hungry. (As an aside, if you think that is the most redundant statement ever written, perhaps it is to underline that Jesus, though fully God, was also fully human with all the implied frailties).
But I’d argue it’s perhaps even more important to add things in. Jesus is clearly putting in some serious prayer and meditation as we see with some of the temptations that are recorded for us. Each and every one is met immediately with a verse of scripture. Such fluency, and confidence, does not come without work methinks.
So what will you be putting in this Lent? Each Wednesday one of us from 9:15 or Church on the Green congregations will provide a little video reflection to help get you thinking. You’ll be able to find them here or on the CBC YouTube channel.