adventures in Lent

The more I’ve talked with people about Lent, the more I’ve realized: it can be a very misunderstood season.  I’ve misunderstood it myself.  So often, Lent is painted as a long, dark, and barren season – and with good reason: traditionally, people tend to “give something up” for Lent – and when you’ve given up something you love for forty days, those forty days can seem like they are stretching out forever.

But Lent is also the road to Easter – the road to new life and hope and renewal.  And sometimes, it’s time in the desert that fosters the new life we need.

What if, this year, instead of looking at Lent as:

• a burden
• a time of sacrifice
• something that other people do, or
• an opportunity to fail (ha, like last year when I gave up coffee for Lent and it lasted more like four days than forty!)

we could choose to look at Lent as:

• an adventure
• a time to put more effort into spiritual growth
• a season in which we will become more attuned to what God is doing in our lives, and
• an opportunity to expand our understanding of the diversity of the church

Doesn’t that sound like way more fun?

photo courtesy of unsplash.com
photographer: Fré Sonneveld
font: Adventure, by Pixel Sagas

Beginning this coming Wednesday, my friend Arman and I are going to co-host a weekly link-up called Adventures in Lent.  We thought it would be helpful to create an online space where we can share our stories about what we’ve given up for Lent and why, as well as what we’re learning by doing it, as we journey toward Easter together.  It’ll be a great way to meet some new bloggers, learn about the many different ways that people practice their faith during Lent, and to encourage each other to keep going – and keep growing!

The nuts and bolts of the weekly link-up:

Arman and I will post about our adventures in Lent on Wednesdays, and we’ll send those posts out via social media with the hashtag: #adventuresinlent.  We’re going to take turns hosting the link-up, but we’ll be sure to let you know at the end of the post where and how to leave your link.  The link-up will either be found here at Simple Felicity, or over on Arman’s website, which you can find at armansheffey.com.

The link-up will happen every Wednesday, but if Wednesdays aren’t ideal for you, that’s okay – we’ll keep the link-up open for a few days, so you’ll still be able to share your posts.

Not a blogger, but still want to participate?  Excellent!  Just go ahead and post your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, using the hashtag #adventuresinlent.  (You can actually use any other social media platform you want to – we just can’t guarantee that we’ll see it unless you leave us a comment that will tell us where to look.)   😉

Still not sure what the big deal is about Lent?  Far wiser people than I am have written scores of things about it, so I won’t say much here – but if you feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart to participate for the first time, and are looking for a brief explanation of Lent, you can find a Lutheran perspective here and a Catholic perspective here.  You’re also welcome to leave a comment below with any thoughts or questions you might have and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction!

If you’re excited about the possibilities of this Lenten adventure and want to share it with your friends, please like/share/tweet/etc. the link to this post, and then start thinking about this question:

What is the Holy Spirit calling you to give up for Lent this year?

And do you know why?

(It’s okay if you don’t!  Finding out might be part of the adventure!)

We’ll be sharing our answers in our first posts on Ash Wednesday.  We can’t wait to read your blog posts and walk through this season with you!