Article by Ruth Compion on Lent

Lent is a season in the church calendar that a few of us kept last year. We all found it a very blessed and humbling experience especially as it culminated in the Easter Conference at the church where we celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus.


By tradition in the early church, Lent was a time spent by persons, wanting to be baptised, preparing for that baptism. The church encouraged the whole congregation to go through this season with the new converts as a way of showing support and encouragement.To many of us who come from a Catholic or Church of England background, Lent is a time of fasting of favourite foods and covering of the church pictures with purple. The traditional churches look upon Lent as a time of fasting, prayer, almsgiving and simplicity. Although there are no biblical references to Lent, in my research I could find no evidence that it was based on any pagan rituals. However some of the traditional days celebrated around Lent can be linked to such e.g. Mardi Gras Carnival and Shrove Tuesday.


The Internet is full of websites explaining Lent and if any of you are interested it is a good place to start.A few of us will be celebrating Lent again this year. It is wonderful to share this season within a group, as it is exciting to see what God has to say to each person and it is helpful to encourage each other when the times get rough, and they can, because Lent is for 40days and keeping to some sort of fast for that long is not always easy.


I would like to encourage you that if you are interested to take part in this season, that you form a small group or do it with your cell.


I am sure many of you remember the course we did at the end of 2008, "The Life you've always wanted" and how it spoke about building times or seasons into our lives of celebration, simplicity and solitude. It is in this vein that I bring to you Lent.


It is an opportunity to set aside time to pray abit more, to read the Bible abit more, and to seek God---it is like going on a vacation with the Lord for a time but with the joy of sharing with others as well.I think that the fasting bit terrifies some of us especially for such a long time, so here are a few suggestions:

• Fast one meal a day

• Fast meat

• Fast coffee/wine/coke/cigarettes

• Fast sugar/sweets/puddings

• Fast one day a week

• Fast entertainment

• Fast anger, unreasonable expectations of others, hopelessness, despair.



The idea with the fasting is:

• Money you would spend on that which you are not eating, you give to some charity

• That you do not fast only FROM something but also towards something. E.g. if you fast meat, you then seek the "meat of the Word".

• That you also fast from habits and character traits that you struggle with. E.g. if you fast from anger, try to choose one person who often presses your buttons and go out of your way to show special grace to that person.

• If you fast a meal, that you spend that time praying or reading.I would like to stress that the purpose of Lent is not to see if you can keep your fast but for you to move a step closer to the Lord and to enjoy experiencing this progress. Fasting is only a tool towards this purpose, so please do not get into any guilt trip if you slip up.Lent starts on Wednesday 25th February and ends on Saturday 11th April. Traditionally the Sundays that fall in Lent are mini-Easters and you are allowed to break your fast that day and celebrate.


Obviously the Easter celebration is an important part of this season and so there may possibly be a showing of the "Passion of the Christ" on the evening of Good Friday for those who would be interested.If you are interested to take part in Lent and cannot find a group to join, or would like to make suggestions, you are welcome to contact me or one of the leaders.


Many blessingsRuth Compion