Thinking about Lent

The season of Lent has now been upon us for the last few weeks, and I wonder what people have been thinking about or doing to observe it. 

Growing up in an Evangelical church, I didn't hear anything about Lent as we weren't that big on "those" kind of traditions. However, as I got into my university years it became something that was more trendy to talk about or do. Of course at that time, basically all I heard about Lent was that it was a time to give something up - chocolate being the thing of choice to be given up. While I didn't question it much at the time, I've come to wonder if there shouldn't be more to this season than that!

This year, I have chosen to join in a reading plan through a portion of the Bible for the season of Lent, with daily readings mostly from the book of Matthew accompanied by reflections on the text by an Anglican bishop. It has been a great exercise for me this year - to not only choose to "give something up for lent", but to intentionally choose to join in the journey of Jesus during this season leading up to Easter. While I won't go so far as to say that there has been some dramatic transformation in my thinking, it has been a great blessing to identify more purposefully with Jesus during this season that is intended for reflection and a step back from some of our daily stuff.

Maybe you too have found a way to journey with Jesus through this season, and I trust that as you seek him out during this season of Lent, you will find the blessing of knowing him more deeply!

If you'd like to check out the reading plan I mentioned, you can find it at www.youversion.com under their reading plans entitled: Lent for Everyone.