Dear Church,
Lent begins this Wednesday (February 14th) and lasts for six weeks or so. Lent is a liturgical season of penitence and, as such, for many of us it carries a lot of baggage.
Oftentimes, repentance and fasting get associated with shame-motivated techniques for earning God’s favor or attention. At The Table, we believe God is always present and at work. Our actions are not what cause God’s action. So while Lent is associated with the practices of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving, the implementation of these practices in Lent is not aimed at doing enough to convince God to show up.
Instead, Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving during Lent present a special opportunity to practice naming and noticing our desires. Just like we believe God is always present and at work, we also believe that God is so real that God can only meet you where you’re really at. These spiritual practices help us to get a clearer picture of where we are at. In other words, these practices help us to be present to the places that God is already meeting us.
Whether you are new to Lent or have a long, complicated history with it, (in addition to joining us for our Ash Wednesday services) we’re inviting you to consider a spiritual discipline that might be a good fit for you this year. Here are a few ideas that might inspire your imagination:
Prayer
- Join us for Morning Prayer via Zoom weekdays at 8am during Lent.
- Commit to some other regular practice of prayer.
- Find some short breath prayers that feel settling and return to them throughout the day.
Fasting
- Fast from foods or drinks you would normally enjoy (chocolate, alcohol, meat, e.g.).
- You could also fast from Media, Social Media, or other hobbies/practices that tend to require our attention (i.e. following sports closely)
- Consider a “whole fast”, perhaps once a week (see our article on How to Fast For Lent for more on this, and on fasting in general).
- (Remember that Sundays don’t count as fast days!)
Almsgiving
- In addition to your regular giving, consider donating to The Table’s Benevolence Fund, which we use to meet needs within our church and the wider community.
- Donate to other organizations who are working among the marginalized in our community.
- You also can give of your time — maybe it’s volunteering at The Table or at a local organization, or maybe it’s just slowing down and giving more of your time to someone in your life.
Friends, you have nothing to prove in this. Lent is not the Piety Olympics, but I believe there is goodness available to you in a Lenten Practice this year. I would invite you to prayerfully discern what practice might be right for you this Lent.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Spencer+
