Plenty of Lent In These Pockets

Growing up, I remember my parents being fans of the Walk Thru the Bible ministry. This organization put on conferences that gave attendees an overview of biblical events. It involved memorizing these surveys through catchy phrases and fun hand motions. By the end of the day, you would have learned in surprising detail the story of the Old or New Testament. I remember going when I was young and enjoying it.

The Church Year is a lot like Walk Thru the Bible. In a way, we actually act out special events in Christ's life and the life of the Church. Lent is specifically set aside for "acting out" the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness.

From ChurchYear.net:

In basic terms, Lent is the 40-day season before Easter (Sundays, as feast days, are excluded from the count of 40), in the West lasting from Ash Wednesday until the end of Holy Week. The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, Christian growth, penitence, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him.

This is my first time to participate in this spiritual season of the Church and I'm excited. Besides observing the fast days,

• I will be giving up long showers. This may sound trivial, but I spend way too much time practically sleeping in there. This will also give me time to pray in the morning.
• I will also be reading the Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan, a brilliant idea of Jonathan Bennett.

What are you doing for Lent? Maybe you're not comfortable calling it Lent, but might be willing to join with other Christians in a time of spring cleaning; a time to take stock of your spiritual life, dedicate yourself to disciplines often ignored, and prepare your heart for the celebration of our Savior's Resurrection.