Lent
Paying Attention
We live in a world that’s really good at filling silence. Our phones, our schedules, our anxieties — all of them compete for the one thing Lent asks us to practice: attention.
Lent is not primarily about subtraction. It is about noticing. It is a forty-day invitation to slow down long enough to see what we actually love, what we actually fear, and who we actually trust. The Psalmist models this when he prays, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts" (Psalm 139:23). That kind of honesty only happens when we stop long enough to pay attention.
Our friend and fellow Chicago pastor Aaron Damiani puts it plainly: "In theory the gospel is compelling, but in reality we would rather pay attention to whatever Netflix is offering. We are so full on the junk food of our culture that we cannot metabolize the feast on our Easter plates."
Lent clears the plate. It creates the conditions for us to hear again what Jesus said at the very beginning of his ministry: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"(Matthew 4:17). That word repent — metanoia — means to turn, to reorient, to look in a different direction. You cannot turn toward something you haven't noticed.
And what we are turning toward is this: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). Easter is the destination. Lent is learning to pay attention on the path toward resurrection.
We hope you'll walk these forty days with us.
Lent Resources
As a church family:
Join our groups as we practice fasting through this season. Our Elder for Group, Josh Burns, will be resourcing your group leaders thorugh a time of ceasing and feasing.
For Individuals:
The Good of Giving Up (Damiani)
Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal (McCaulley)
For Families:
Jesus Storybook Bible Lent Guide (Printable)
Family Dinnertime Devotions for Lent (Printable)
