Lenten Observances

Often we approach Lent with a specific idea, a particular goal. I found that, when I began my own journey back to the church, Lent was expressed either by a denial of a pleasure (giving up a food or activity during Lent), an added devotion (like praying the Stations of the Cross each Friday), or a combination of each. My focus during Lent was on that denial or practice.

While the penitential and devotional activities are an important part of our Lenten observance, we cannot (as I often would) lose sight of the reason behind those observances. They are designed to focus our attention, not on the observance itself, but on God. It sounds obvious to a mature Christian, perhaps, but as someone newly returned to the faith I was focused on the activity rather than the reason behind the activity.

A simple solution is to remind oneself, when thinking about what to eat (or not to eat), or considering ones schedule of devotions during the week, to offer a simple prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of this life, and a petition that God may always show, through His indwelling Spirit, how to walk more closely with Him.