why i'm observing lent this year

at Sénanque Abbey in Provence, France for our honeymoon in 2015 [thanks to my history of christianity class, I now know that I visited a Cistercian abbey!]

School’s been mighty hectic around here, and my plan to (try to) blog once or twice a month has clearly fallen through. Add to that a persistent bug that’s been keeping me indoors, downing warm cups of yuzu honey for weeks… it’s been one pretty rough month.

But today (at my time of writing) is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent, and I thought of writing a short reflection on why I've decided to observe it (for the first time ever!) this year.

Growing up in an independent charismatic church, Lent to me was a Catholic practice that I unconsciously avoided because it seemed rather ritualistic, whereas the Christianity I was familiar with was all about the leading of the Holy Spirit (aka spontaneity rules). But things have changed in the past few years. My church in Vancouver is not Anglican, but it incorporates certain liturgical traditions associated with Lent, like holding an Ash Wednesday service where ashes are smeared on one’s forehead as a reminder that we are dust and to dust we shall return. The church also invites creatives to create beautiful art that we are invited to meditate upon during service every week.

This experience, I think, was my first mini-awakening: that Lent was a beautifully inviting journey of faith (and not some seemingly old-fashioned ritual that only Catholics practice), and that it is where we can go deeper in encountering Jesus when we fast or abstain from something(s) as we remember and prepare to celebrate His death and resurrection.

My second mini-awakening probably occurred when I took a History of Christianity class last fall. Having studied more about the early church and their dedication to living Christ-centred lives amidst persecution and in a world which often saw them as atheists or members of a cult, I was moved by the dedication to their faith and how important observing dates in the liturgical calendar were for the early Christians.

Maybe, if I could put it even more plainly: it’s felt like something has been missing in my walk with God. It’s felt like my faith has become very individualized and, worse, me-centered.

Observing Lent is like following in the footsteps of all the saints who have gone before me (that’s what I picture it to be like in my head, at least). I suppose I’ve been starved of such figures whose lives are so enriching and can speak volumes to 21st-century me in the Christian tradition–or the un-traditional Christian faith–that I grew up in. I also hope to make more space for lament in my prayer life during Lent–it’s something that I dearly wish more churches would create time for in their services, but I know I should first practice what I (want to) preach ;)

I’ve also decided to give up a few things for Lent. One is to stop eating sweet treats, which I must confess that I have a huge emotional reliance on. I often need something sweet like ice cream or bubble tea to make myself feel better or feel less stressed, and I anticipate this being a bit of a struggle because March is shaping up to be a pretty stress-inducing month.

Another thing I’m giving up is binge-watching Netflix. Spending hours watching a show is somewhat of an escape mechanism for me from all them looming deadlines, but during Lent, this is something I want to refrain from.

One other thing that just popped into my head today: giving up negative self-talk. I think this particularly applies to how I talk to myself about my body; I wonder if something will change if I choose to say that I love my body every day for 40 days instead of criticizing it.

Besides giving up certain favourite indulgences, there’re also some things I want to incorporate in my life for Lent: to develop a daily prayer rhythm in the morning, midday and evening, and to go for a solo meditative walk every week.

I’ve also come across some helpful Lenten resources that might interest you too as you consider observing Lent this year:

The Brilliance’s “Dust we are and shall return”: Love listening to this song before starting on work for the day; it has such a calming, grounding quality about it.
Sarah Bessey’s 40 Simple Practices for Lent printable: there are a number of creative ways to observe Lent here throughout the 40 days. I’m looking forward to putting some of them into practice.
40acts: A generosity challenge that wants to celebrate radical generosity, started by UK-based charity Stewardship. I’ve just signed up for it so I don’t quite know what the content is like and whether it’s only UK-specific, but I’m pretty intrigued by what it wants to achieve.
Common Prayer app: I downloaded this a few days ago because of one of Sarah Bessey’s Lenten prompts and have been using it so far. It helps me to pause and contemplate God throughout my day, and I’m hoping to pray like this with the husband soon too.
Sacred Ordinary Days: Discovered them on Instagram because I was searching for more liturgical resources I could potentially purchase. You can sign up for their Lent + Easter email series, or check out some of the cool planners and prayer books they retail (I find the Celtic prayer book rather enticing!).
Jan Richardson’s Instagram: Heartfelt poetry for the Lenten season. I loved her Ash Wednesday poem “Blessing the Dust”, and can’t wait to read and appreciate more of her art.
“My journey toward a decolonized Lent” by Erina Kim-Eubanks: Came across this piece via SheLoves Magazine’s Facebook page and I love the openness and honesty of this piece. There are lots of pertinent questions I should (and will) reflect on, and Erina’s list of Lenten resources are some that I definitely want to explore at some point.

What are your thoughts on Lent? Is it something you faithfully embark on every year, or (like me) is it something you’re excited to observe this year? I would love to hear from you in the comments section below! <3

xx,
iz