The Season of Lent – a Holy Fast & a Holy Feast
Lent is a season in the Christian Church year that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends six weeks later before Easter Sunday. It is a time of preparation for Holy Week, marking the death and burial of Jesus, and ultimately the joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.
During Lent, many Christians commit to fasting or giving up something, and followers of Jesus add a spiritual disciple into their daily or weekly Lent season, all as a way to draw nearer to God.
Here’s an adapted reading for Lent with some suggestions for fasting and/or feasting.
Let us . . . fast from worry and feast on trust in God,
fast from complaining and feast on appreciation,
fast from negatives and feast on affirmatives.
Let us . . . fast from emphasis on differences and feast on the unity of life,
fast from hostility and feast on grace,
fast from apathy and feast on empathy.
Let us . . . fast from judging others and feast on the image of God within each one of us,
fast from words that pollute and feast on phrases that heal,
fast from idle gossip and feast on a deep breath of silence.
Let us . . . fast from emphasis on self-concern and feast on compassion for others,
fast from discontent and feast on gratitude,
fast from bitterness and feast on understanding.
Let us . . . fast from facts that depress and feast on examples that inspire,
fast from discouragement and feast on hope.
Grace for the journey.
Pastor Eleanor
