Lent is a 40 day period, not including Sundays, that runs from Ash Wednesday (falling on 2 March this year) and ends on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. It is a time of reflection and of preparing our hearts to encounter God. It is a time of removing distractions (sometimes by fasting) so we can focus on God. It is a time of slowing down and making room in our soul to listen to his voice. If we have been drifting from God, it is an opportunity to return to him with our whole hearts (Joel 2:13-14).
It connects us to the story of the 40 days of fasting in the wilderness that Jesus undertook after his baptism and before setting out on his public ministry. That may feel quite heavy, and it is a time of testing, but remember that Jesus was led into this wilderness by the Spirit, was strengthened by angels, overcame the devil and came out of that 40 days in the power of the Spirit and clear about his mission and his priorities. Lent can have this effect for us to as we engage with God in this way.
So we encourage you to take time and to make space in this season, and expect to encounter God in the hidden place of the wilderness.
There are a number of tools below that may help you, but the most important thing is that you intentionally seek after God, with your whole heart.
YouVersion Bible App
If you use the YouVersion Bible App, there are a number of Reading Plans based around Lent. Just type Lent in the Search feature
Live Lent
The Church of England produce a booklet each year to help with the Lent journey, and this year the focus is an outward one – embracing justice.
There is also an app available.
The Lent Encounter
The Bible Society are running a course you can sign up for that takes us on our journey with Jesus – a good one for our current focus on Following Jesus.
Pauses for Lent
For something more minimalist, this book by contemplative writer, Trevor Hudson, has a number of short contemplations, and some simple actions, to help you pause and reflect.
The Unvarnished Jesus
Brian Zahnd is an excellent writer and here he tells his story of coming to terms with the unvarnished Jesus, when we remove some of the traditions and assumptions with which we have covered him over.
EHS 40 Day Reading Journey
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is a course we highly recommend and this 40 Day Reading Journey accompanies this course. It is outstanding and, although not directly designed for Lent, it can be adapted for the 40 days of Lent.
EHS 40 Day Reading – Relationships
An alternative for those who have used the book above, is his new 40 Day Reading Journey on emotionally healthy relationships – helping us during Lent to repair, improve and deepen our relationships.
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast
For those in leadership, this excellent podcast from the Transforming Centre has a Lent for Leaders over the next few weeks which sounds like it is going to be very good.