Lent at LNPC
"Cease Striving and Trust the that I Am God." Psalm 46:10
What is Lent?
Lent is the period of 40 days, (minus Sundays), beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter.
Forty days mirrors Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. (It does not include Sundays because they are considered 'mini-Easters,’ celebrations of the resurrection every week). In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism.
Lent Today:
Today, all around the world, Christians practice Lent as a time of self-reflection, repentance and fasting, to focus on God and be honest about our own and the world’s need for God. Lent prepares us to receive the good news of Easter.
Lent at LNPC
This year we are immersing ourselves in prayer, and continuing this theme through Lent. Specifically during the 40 days of Lent we are invited to let go of something and invited to take up something. You may have all the direction you need by just seeking to focus Lent on this:
Cease Striving and Trust that I Am God.
How might you cease striving for 40 days? How might you trust that God is God for 40 days?
If you'd like more direction or suggestions for fleshing that in specific actions, scroll down.
Lent is the period of 40 days, (minus Sundays), beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending the Saturday before Easter.
Forty days mirrors Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. (It does not include Sundays because they are considered 'mini-Easters,’ celebrations of the resurrection every week). In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism.
Lent Today:
Today, all around the world, Christians practice Lent as a time of self-reflection, repentance and fasting, to focus on God and be honest about our own and the world’s need for God. Lent prepares us to receive the good news of Easter.
Lent at LNPC
This year we are immersing ourselves in prayer, and continuing this theme through Lent. Specifically during the 40 days of Lent we are invited to let go of something and invited to take up something. You may have all the direction you need by just seeking to focus Lent on this:
Cease Striving and Trust that I Am God.
How might you cease striving for 40 days? How might you trust that God is God for 40 days?
If you'd like more direction or suggestions for fleshing that in specific actions, scroll down.
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SCHEDULE OF GATHERINGS
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE, MARCH 2, (6:00-) 6:30-6:45 PM
6:00 - 6:30 pm Listening Music & Rest in the Sanctuary Hiding Hallelujahs 6:30-6:45 pm - Outdoor Patio Service We plan to stream on Zoom for those participating from a distance. Email Kara if you need a link to the services. You can join in by phone too! Holy Week with LNPC
PALM SUNDAY
Sunday, April 10, 10:00 am You can join in by phone too! 
GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE SERVICE
ONLINE Friday, April 15, 6:30 pm 
EASTER CELEBRATION OF THE RESURRECTION,
ONLINE Sunday, April 17, 10:00 am |
RESOURCES FOR ENTERING INTO LENT
LNPC LENT PLAYLIST - a CD came in your Lent kit, but you can access the playlist via youtube HERE, or Spotify HERE.
Lent Kits PICK YOURS UP NOW!
Each household has a Lent kit with a cd, some prayer practices, coloring sheets, and other surprises. It is ready to be picked up at the church building now. (Those being mailed are sent out on Ash Wednesday). Sacred Ordinary Daily Message
Sign up to receive a daily email with prayer, scripture, images, and a guided reflection for visio divina that accompanies each holy day throughout Lent and Eastertide. Printable Lent Family Journal (free)
Wonderful weekly family experiences to engage Lent in creative and practical ways. From flamecreativekids.blogspot.co.uk Daily Online Lent Reading & Meditation (free)
Click to be guided through an online devotion each day. Subscribe to receive a daily email with a short meditation, guiding you through a reading and reflection for each day of Lent. |
GIVING SOMETHING UP FOR LENT: Cease Striving
What is keeping you from connecting with God, others, and the world around you? How are you trapped in the way of fear and would like to live in freedom? Use this 4o days to let go of something that doesn't serve life.
1- Giving up something you'd like to be free from
Maybe you want to use use these 40 days to practice letting something go that has a hold on you. Be specific as to how you will give it up for Lent. You might say:
2- Giving up something temporarily
Maybe it’s something that you’ll go back to when Lent is over, but a 40 day break would do you good and help you reset in your awareness of God’s love for you and the whole world.
What do you want to give up for Lent?
TAKING UP A PRACTICE FOR LENT: Trust I Am God
What practice might invite you deeper into life alongside others with God? Be specific.
What do you want to take up during Lent?
HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT TO GIVE UP AND WHAT TO TAKE UP?
What is something you know you do that is sucking life from you instead of giving life to you or calling you into life with others? What is cutting you off from others instead of connecting you to others, or dulling you to the world’s pain and beauty instead of awakening you to it? That’s the thing you’re invited to let go of for 40 days.
And where is there energy or life beckoning you? What sparks curiosity, or joy, or is tugging at you in a particular way? That’s what you might decide to take up as a practice.
Remember, there is no measuring or judging on this. This is an invitation to freedom. And anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.
Cease Striving and Trust that I Am God.
What is keeping you from connecting with God, others, and the world around you? How are you trapped in the way of fear and would like to live in freedom? Use this 4o days to let go of something that doesn't serve life.
1- Giving up something you'd like to be free from
Maybe you want to use use these 40 days to practice letting something go that has a hold on you. Be specific as to how you will give it up for Lent. You might say:
- Each time regret comes up you might notice it and speak to yourself, “God uses all things for the good. The past is past, I am present now. Thank you God, for my life.”
- Or every time you find yourself comparing you might turn it into a blessing, “Thank you for the gifts you’ve given that person. Thank you for the gifts you’ve given me.” “May the world be blessed through me, just as I am.”
- Maybe it’s self-centeredness, so you will choose to do something kind for another person every day.
- Maybe it’s worry, so whenever you catch yourself worrying you gently lift it to God and release it, perhaps with a scripture, phrase or song, like “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear.” Ps. 46:1-2, or “Be still and know I am God.” Ps. 46:11. And then be still a moment, and exhale the worry out.
- When shame rears up, you might recite, "God loves me, I am loved," or maybe write it inside your wrist and refresh it throughout Lent.
2- Giving up something temporarily
Maybe it’s something that you’ll go back to when Lent is over, but a 40 day break would do you good and help you reset in your awareness of God’s love for you and the whole world.
- Maybe it’s something like Facebook or Twitter, that podcast you can’t miss a day of, or that several time a week Starbucks stop. In the space where that usually goes, you might put something else lifegiving or restful (music, a phone call with a friend, coloring or knitting or working on a puzzle), or just notice how the lack of it makes you feel.
- Maybe it's your phone on Sundays or evenings (maybe for Lent it goes off at 6 pm and back on in the morning, or don’t go on at all on Sundays!)
- Maybe it’s shopping and commerce, so you’d like to give up buying anything unnecessary, beyond, say groceries and gas, for 40 days.
- Maybe it’s alcohol – instead of that nightly cocktail to you're using to relax and tune out, maybe it's some tea and letting yourself try to be aware and tune in.
What do you want to give up for Lent?
TAKING UP A PRACTICE FOR LENT: Trust I Am God
What practice might invite you deeper into life alongside others with God? Be specific.
- Maybe it’s gratitude. So perhaps you might choose to end each day listing thanks. Or you may reach out to say thank you to someone who has impacted your life or the world, each day, with a phone call, card or email.
- Maybe you’d like to practice awareness, so you decide to begin each day by staying a moment in bed before jumping up and doing your routine. For that moment you let yourself hear, feel, see, smell, touch – notice your breath, your awakening body, the presence of God in the room, your heart beating, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you bring that awareness into your day.
- Maybe it’s deciding to walk around your block once every day of Lent, praying for your neighborhood, or the world, or our country.
- Maybe you want to reach one chapter of the bible every day of Lent – if you want to do the gospels, Mark and John together equal 40 chapters, and Matthew and Luke together are 39 (so you could repeat your favorite).
- Maybe you want to practice stillness, so you set a timer for 5 minutes every day and sit.
What do you want to take up during Lent?
HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT TO GIVE UP AND WHAT TO TAKE UP?
What is something you know you do that is sucking life from you instead of giving life to you or calling you into life with others? What is cutting you off from others instead of connecting you to others, or dulling you to the world’s pain and beauty instead of awakening you to it? That’s the thing you’re invited to let go of for 40 days.
And where is there energy or life beckoning you? What sparks curiosity, or joy, or is tugging at you in a particular way? That’s what you might decide to take up as a practice.
Remember, there is no measuring or judging on this. This is an invitation to freedom. And anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.
Cease Striving and Trust that I Am God.
