by Frontier Fellowship’s Team
Today (March 5) is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the season of Lent. Originally meaning “springtime,” Lent is the season in the Church calendar that spans the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter (not including Sundays). Early on, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Just as these 40 days were a time of preparation for Jesus before He began public ministry, Lent can be a time of preparation for us, too, as we approach Easter.
Churches around the world will host Ash Wednesday services on this first day of Lent, which offer participants a time of confession and contemplation. At the end of the service, the priest or pastor will mark a cross of ashes on the foreheads of attendees, reminding them that “from dust you came, and from dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
Before the Reformation in the 16th century—when Protestants separated from the Catholic Church—Lent was celebrated as a special time of prayer and fasting. After the Reformation, when fasting from food became unpopular, the tradition of giving something up during Lent was encouraged as an alternative act of self-sacrifice. For some, giving up a bad habit or establishing new rhythms in life can serve as a great way to focus on Christ throughout Lent.
One of the ways we can focus on Jesus during this season is to engage in various spiritual practices and exercises to help make space in our lives for God. Some of these are derived from ancient practices, while others are new or adapted. Frontier Fellowship is excited to offer a series of posts throughout Lent that invite you to participate in such spiritual practices. We pray that this series will provide opportunities for you to reflect and contemplate God’s faithfulness through Jesus, and also serve as a tool by which you deepen your understanding of—and love for—the world’s least-reached peoples.
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