If Lent is a new concept for you, don’t feel alone. Growing up, I observed Palm Sunday, Passover, and then Easter, but nothing else. Occasionally I would hear of Lent, but thought people were referring to “lint.” It seemed like an odd thing to celebrate, especially for so long.
My faith experiences expanded in college, as they tend to do when you move away from home. I was introduced to Lent through the metaphor of a journey. Lent is like taking a long walk alone — one of those where you are deeply focused and choose to have hard conversations with yourself. It’s a journey where you look deep inside yourself, and allow your spirit to be exposed, honestly laid bare before God.
Lent is an opportunity for you to walk in the footsteps of the Jesus, and find familiarity in his human suffering. Through the disciplines of Lent, you can discover the things that can bring you life or drain it away. Sometimes journeys are dark and difficult. But there is a light – the promise of Easter, the promise for healing and wholeness. This year d365 & Passport Media are happy to offer three resources that will be good companions for your journey this Lenten season.
1) Journey to the Cross: A web-based, ad-free Lenten devotional series from d365.org. Around 2 million people annually find value in the gentle steps readers are guided through every day. The Lenten series begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015 and will walk you through to the first week of Easter. A team of 8 ecumenical writers offers weekly themes inviting you to examine different aspects of your own faith journey.
2) Lenten Action Calendar: Download it here and put it on the family refrigerator. This resource offers thoughtful ideas about moving from reflection to action. Writer Rev. David Haun invites you to move beyond simply thinking about your faith, but actually do something with it through “Lenten actions” each day of Lent. This guide is also available in Spanish! Share it with a friend!
3) Wondrous Love, Music of Lent: World-renowned composer Mark Hayes has recorded an album of familiar hymns specifically for the season to accompany your daily Journey to the Cross devotions at d365.org. This album is available for download from iTunes and Amazon, and on CD from the Passport Store. I’m going to listen to it in my car.
However you choose to walk with Christ this Lenten season, I hope these resources will enrich your journey.
—————-
Daniel Ingram
PASSPORT Inc. Coordinator of Special Projects