An Introduction to Lent

Lent” is Latin for “Spring.” It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter, lasting 40 days in commemoration of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness.

The Lenten season in the Christian tradition adds another valuable rhythm to our spiritual life. It invites us into an intentional season of reflection, repentance, and returning to God as we remember our mortality and journey toward the cross and resurrection together.

While Lent is traditionally a time for fasting, we acknowledge the complexities around food fasts, particularly in our diet culture, and welcome a more expansive Lenten practice.

Questions you might ask yourself:

• How do I want to be formed during this Lenten season? How do I want to feel when I wake up on Resurrection Sunday?

• What are some of the goods of Empire- material goods, particular narratives, oppressive systems- that you want to boycott or divest from this season?

• What practices might return you to your humanity during this season- both your limits and your agency?

• What is a practice of your ancestors that you may adopt, to help root and sustain your faith?

Practices of fasting to consider:

• Food fasts (meats, sweets, coffee, alcohol, a particular meal or day, food waste, etc)

• Spending fasts (not buying certain items, anything non-essential)

• Tech/media fasts (disengage social media, TV, tech during set times)

• Boycott, striking, or divestment

• Fast from external voices by sitting in silence or solitude for a set time

Practices of engaging or acting to consider:

• Daily prayer practices- breath prayer, body scans, lighting a candle, praying in nature

• Practices of almsgiving or generosity

• Commit to rhythms of protest, advocacy calls/letters, pilgrimage, or political action

• Practices of creating (art, writing, ”morning pages,” movement, etc.)

• Reclaiming an ancestral spiritual practice

• Designate specific time for friendship or relationship building

Suggested Resources for Lent 2025