The Opportunities of Lent

This Wednesday (February 18, 2026), we will be partnering with University Covenant Church to host an Ash Wednesday service, marking the beginning of Lent.

Just reading that sentence, you might have questions. If your question was, “what time is the service?”, the answer is 7pm. But if your question is more like: “What is Lent?”, or “What is Ash Wednesday?”, or “Why do we do this and does it matter?”, then I have three things to share with you.

First, Lent has a long Christian history. Early Christians felt that the magnitude of Easter called for special preparation, and as early as the 2nd century they devoted time to fast and pray as a community. Over time, 40 days became the accepted length of the Lenten season, perhaps in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4).

Second, Lent is an opportunity, not an obligation. There’s nothing in Scripture requiring us to observe Lent, but Christians throughout the centuries have seen it as an opportunity to reflect on why we need Jesus. Ash Wednesday, with its reminder that we’re mortal (“ashes to ashes, dust to dust”) and sinful, marks the beginning of Lent.

Third, there are many ways to observe Lent. I’d invite you to consider how God might be inviting you to deepen your trust in him this season. Here are some ways believers have chosen to make the most of Lent:

• Observing Ash Wednesday: a time of prayer, singing, and guided repentance and reflection can be humbling and healing for us.

• Many people choose to fast in some way during Lent as a way to focus on our creaturely dependence on God. There’s nothing quite like giving up something to make us realize how reliant we were on it, and then to have to choose to rely on God instead. Sundays are excluded from fasting, because it was considered inappropriate to fast on the day of Resurrection.

• Consider a devotional resource to read and pray through Lent. Here are three I’d recommend:

  • Lectio 365 is one wonderful way to pause with the Lord in the morning, midday, and evening.

  • Lent for Everyone devotional plan by N.T. Wright available for free on the YouVersion Bible App.

  • If you’d prefer a book rather than an app, consider Christianity Today’s devotional Ever Approaching Dawn.

• Try adding Lent-themed songs to your worship, like the Psalms or this Ash Wednesday playlist on Spotify.

Walking with you towards Jesus in this season,

Bronwyn

Pastor of Discipleship