Boston Faith & Justice Network is about bringing Christians together in community. True, there is also a mission we hope to help equip you and ourselves for.  But today as we enter Lent together I am writing this just considering how we can strengthen each other in faith that we might be stronger in community knowing that in the end that will make us stronger for whatever God calls us to whenever He call us to it.  So I pray that this season is one of renewal and hope for each and every one of you.

Every year I look at Lent as a time to stop and examine my own faith, to renew, to remember and anticipate.

What does Lent mean to you?  Will you give up something as is customary in so many faith traditions?  Will you add something? Do you have a favorite Lenten devotional?

As I considered what Lent might look like for me this season I looked around at different sites online to learn what others were doing.

I found some great suggestions.  Of course there all the usual blogs and articles on the things you can give up  and not just the usuals – like soda and chocolate – although those can be hard to let go and therefore valuable acts of sacrifice!  The idea of making a sacrifice during lent, some sort of fast, dates back to the early church and can serve to remind us of so many important parts of our what faith journey should be about.  Solidarity with those in true want, acknowledgment of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, a reminder of the plenty we truly enjoy and can pick up and put down at will and so on and so forth. I am trying the chocolate route myself this year for a variety of reasons.

I have also loved hearing from people who decide to take on rather than put down something at Lent, who begin a new spiritual practice or act of service.  This to me seems to also be a beautiful way to honor the Lenten season.  I found some great ideas for this as well.  From suggestions like creating a new prayer rhythm to offering forgiveness to someone.   There were great thoughts in many articles I found about how we might add practices that would draw us closer to our savior as we draw closer to the celebration of his resurrection. I would like to add daily journaling to my routine and hope I can remain faithful for all forty days in this habit.

Lent is the perfect time to pause and reflect however we choose to do that.  Be it by adding, subtracting, doing both or neither.  I think the key is intentionality.  Being purposeful about our practice in this season leading up to the celebration of Easter.

Lord, I know there is darkness
within me and around me.
Bless these days with your Word.
Let your Light shine in the darkness.
Help me long for that Light
until we celebrate it at the Vigil six weeks from now

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