The Christian Season of Lent 2017
Today is Ash Wednesday – welcoming the Christian season of Lent. The Lent (meaning “spring” in Anglo-Saxon) is a 40-day period (40 days not counting Sundays) where Many Christians (if not all) observe Lent as a period of fasting, abstinence, repentance, self-denial, and spiritual discipline. It ends on the Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
Today is Ash Wednesday – welcoming the Christian season of Lent. The Lent (meaning “spring” in Anglo-Saxon) is a 40-day period (40 days not counting Sundays) where Many Christians (if not all) observe Lent as a period of fasting, abstinence, repentance, self-denial, and spiritual discipline. It ends on the Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
In Lent, we focus on the suffering, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a godly discipline to observe repenting of sin and surrendering oneself to God, but we should not be confined to only a special 40 days in a year. Instead, we need to cultivate daily how to walk as a disciple of Christ humbly in obedience to our Master’s will.
Three suggested disciplines you may want to give a try during the season of Lent:
1. Set aside a time for daily quiet devotion and prayers. Discipline yourself to read a daily devotional/ bible passage and pray for a person or two.
2. Practice being grateful in life. When you are thankful, you won’t be complaining at the same time. This is good for the soul. Write a thank-you note to someone who may have helped you along the way. Say “Thank you” to the road sweeper, the waiter, the taxi driver, your employee/staff, etc., in a deliberate manner.
3. Learn to fast and "give of self" during this season of Lent.
You may include your child in the season of Lent. Help your young child try a new kind of fasting – we call this electronic/digital fasting, and that is to abstain from TV, Facebook, email, and electronic games for a day or two every week. You may use the time to read a passage from the Bible and pray instead of facing the tablet/TV.
You may try partial fasting – a vegetarian meal only for a day a week. Skip your favourite beverage, drink, or beer three times a week. And, also you may set aside some money during Lent through creative ways to collect coins each day or by making small "sacrifices" as a family, like skipping a can of soft drink, a sweet dessert, a weekly movie, and collecting the money saved each week.
On Easter Sunday, or soon after, donate the money to help people in your local community or across the globe. The above discipline is a guide that aims to help you to focus on repenting your sins and giving of yourself to God. You love because God loves you first.
May the Holy Spirit lead and guide you as you fast and pray for greater understanding of God's love and His sacrifice for you.
Rev Leslie Lim, O.S.L
