Lent Roundtable - 2022
Christians and pastors from less liturgical church backgrounds can feel drawn to the idea of Lent or Holy Week, but don't always know how to "do" it. We put together this resource to give some handles for anyone who’s trying to understand this church tradition or to take steps to participate. First, we’ve got a primer from our Anglican friend Winfield Bevins. We also reached out to some pastors from less liturgical churches to see what Lent and Holy Week will look like in their contexts this year.
“What are you doing for Lent?”
“What are you doing for Lent?” is a common question among Christians this time of the year.
Maybe you heard of Lent, but have no idea what it means. Lent is a season of spiritual preparation in which we remember Christ’s temptation, suffering, and death. Lent is a traditional time for Christians to draw closer to Jesus through prayer, reflection, fasting, and repentance.
Historically, the church has celebrated Lent as a 40-day period beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding the day before Easter. The climax of Lent is Holy Week, which is the week immediately preceding Easter, or Resurrection Sunday. It is observed in many Christian churches as a time to commemorate the last week of Jesus’ life, his suffering (Passion), and his death, through various observances and services of worship. Many Christians use the 40 days of Lent as a journey of drawing closer to the Lord through prayer, fasting, repentance, and self-denial.
-Winfield Bevins
Will your church be observing Lent this year?
Ben Connelly, Salt + Light Community: Informally, yes. We are in Exodus and will be intentionally engaging with Israel's lament, suffering, & Egypt's plagues & death, during Lent 2022. Based in Exodus, we'll also invite folks to a seder.
Matt Stevens, Vintage Church: Yes.
Chris Synesael, West Village Church: Yes.
Will your church be observing Holy Week this year?
Ben: In a way, yes. We'll serve the organization who owns the building where we meet - we'll help families engage the Easter story & serve them an Easter meal on Thursday, the night of Jesus' final meal.
Matt: Yes.
Chris: Yes.
When it comes to Lent/Holy Week, is there anything that has worked well for your church in the past? (if different than what you're doing this year)
Ben: One year, artists in our church created a walk-through Good Friday reflection. Each room evoked two events: one from his life and one from his death.
Matt: We've found that adapting the traditional Maundy Thursday service to focus on the table, garden, and trial has deepened our reflection of Holy Week as well as our response on Easter Sunday.
Chris: We have used the Lent Season to bring our church together for a singular focus. This included a Sunday teaching series, a daily devotional, daily prayer times, and small group content.
Will Lent/Holy Week affect your church's small groups this year?
Ben: We'll invite groups to discuss & practice lament, & to sacrifice & serve our host organization. We'll equip leaders to help their folks find God meeting them in the midst of these actions.
Matt: We are encouraging our small groups to gather each week over a meal that looks back to the Last Supper as well as looking ahead to the feast we'll share upon Christ's return.
Chris: Yes. This year we are encouraging our church family to fast and pray one day per week over a specific prayer request. And we are encouraging our groups to break the fast together over the meal.
Do you plan on any personal practices during Lent this year?
Ben: Some years we do, some years we don't... 2022 started with some sadness & we've already been grieving & experiencing God in the midst of that - so we haven't yet discussed this as a family for 2022.
Matt: Our hope for this year is to deepen our understanding of what it means to be a citizen in the kingdom of heaven. I plan on fasting in a manner that helps me better realize this role.
Chris: No, not this year. But in the past we have provided daily devotionals for our entire church family to work through.