Lent at Resurrection
A 40-Day Journey
a 40-day journey
“Lent” describes a special 40-day period prior to the celebration of Easter Sunday. During this time, all believers are invited to observe a special time of “by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” These 40 days invite us to come to the end of ourselves, and in doing so, we find ourselves prepared to receive the endless gifts of Christ as we journey through Holy Week and into Easter.
Join us this Lent as we seek to deepen our walk with Jesus by digging into prayer and Scripture. We invite you to engage with our community in a variety of ways:
Lent Schedule
Special Events
| Event | Times | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Ash Wednesday |
7am, 12pm, 7pm Confessions 8am, 12pm, 5pm | Wednesday, March 5 |
| Rector Search Prayer Meeting |
6:30-8pm All Saints Chapel | Wednesday, March 12 |
| RezFast for Holy Week | 6:30pm | Wednesday, March 26 |
Sundays During Lent
| Event | Times | Dates/Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday Services |
8:30 & 10:30 am* *10:30 Livestreamed | March 9 - April 6 |
| Sunday, March 9 |
8:30 & 10:30 am* *10:30 Livestreamed | Mark 1:9-13 |
| Sunday, March 16 |
8:30 & 10:30 am* *10:30 Livestreamed | Mark 8:31-38 |
| Sunday, March 23 |
8:30 & 10:30 am* *10:30 Livestreamed | John 2:13-22 |
| Sunday, March 30 |
8:30 & 10:30 am* *10:30 Livestreamed | John 6:1-15 |
| Sunday, April 6 |
8:30 & 10:30 am* *10:30 Livestreamed | John 12:20-36 |
| Palm Sunday |
8:30 & 11am* *11:00 Livestreamed | April 13 |
Every Lent, Resurrection gives a financial gift to a global partner. Our Good Friday Gift this year is focused on “Love and Care for our Global Partners.” We aim to invest in their health, relationally and spiritually, as they serve on the frontlines, sharing the Gospel and/or equipping the Church, often where there are few believers.
Build your Lenten Disciplines: Pray, Fast, Give
Through spiritual disciplines, we grow in awareness of our utter need for the Lord. We empty ourselves and declutter our lives, in order to be filled increasingly with him. For each of the six weeks of Lent, this guide provides a brief Bible study on a passage related to either prayer, fasting, or almsgiving. Use this resource on your own, with a friend, in your household, or small group using our print guide or the instructions below.
Prepare for Lent
Build your Disciplines
Build your own plan for praying, fasting, and giving
Introduction
As you prepare for Lent, use the ideas here to build your own plan for praying, fasting, and giving. As you get into Lent, you may want to adjust your original plan if you were too ambitious—or perhaps not stretching enough! Even in the choosing and implementing of disciplines we learn a lot about ourselves and how the Lord truly sees us.
The following are meant to be practiced daily throughout Lent unless specified otherwise. Of course, you will miss days sometimes, and perfection is not the goal. Still, it’s helpful to aim for a target. It is essential to make a plan for when in your schedule you are going to exercise these disciplines. How will you carve out the time, what will you change your usual routine that will make these disciplines possible? The section on fasting includes ideas for how to declutter your schedule.
A few notes: It is customary not to observe fasts on Sundays. Also, food fasts must be done in consideration of physical health. For example, pregnant or nursing mothers, or anyone with an unhealthy relationship to food, should not engage in food fasting. The wisdom of the church tells us that whatever circumstance prevents you from fasting—that circumstance is operating in the place of the fast as a means for sanctification.
A final, and very important, note: The bullet points in the following lists are to help you determine which disciplines you are committing to. The idea is certainly not to do all of them! This is not a “to do” list. You may, of course, choose more than one exercise from any particular category, but that is not required. You might also choose none of the disciplines in a particular section. Prayerfully seek guidance from the Holy Spirit about how to build your Lenten fasts.
I. Pray
Test the water:
- Use a devotional (see appendix)
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer in the morning, at noon, and at night
- Read a Psalm out loud
- Practice Silence for 2 minutes
- Use a Breath Prayer for 2 minutes (see appendix)
- Pray Palms Up / Palms Down (see appendix)
Go deeper:
- Pray midday/noonday prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP)
- Use the Lord’s Prayer as a template: meditate on the meaning of each phrase, spending a minute or two praying into each one
- Practice silence or Breath Prayers as you kneel or bow your head to the ground
- End the day with a basic Examen (see appendix)
- Read through a Gospel or another book of the Bible in one small section per day; include time to reflect on the passage and ask: What does this show me about God? …the world? …myself? What is God saying to me?
- Make a short list of people you know who are struggling; pray for them every day
- Set a timer for 5 minutes to pray exclusively prayers of thanksgiving
- Pick up a prayer card from the global missions table to pray for our global partners
Dive all the way in:
- Do Morning Prayer, alone or with others, daily online (churchrez.org/online-prayer-bible-study/)
- Set aside an hour to pray each day, using Scripture reading and ideas from the appendix to structure your time
- Choose a Psalm or other portion of Scripture to memorize over the course of Lent; each day commit one verse or couplet to memory
- Choose a time once a week to practice Lectio Divina (see appendix)
- Use the Prayers of the People (BCP pg. 110) or the Great Litany (BCP pg. 91) to intercede for the Church and the World
- Other?
II. Fast
Test the water:
- Give up a luxury item from your diet (sugar, desserts, alcohol, etc.)
- Abstain from social media after dinner and before breakfast
- Abstain from all entertainment-based media after dinner/before breakfast
Go deeper:
- Give up meat, dairy, or caffeine (or reduce to one cup/day)
- Skip 1-2 meals once a week; use the time to pray
- Fast on Sunday morning, eating and drinking nothing until you have received the Eucharist
- Give up all social media
- Give up YouTube
- Give up listening to podcasts or radio
- Reduce TV shows to one per week
- Reduce movies to one per week
- Reduce sports viewing to one event per week
- Reduce video games to one day per week
Dive all the way in:
- Give up snacking; only eat at meal times
- Do a 3-5 day fast from solid food at least once during Lent; drink juices, coconut water, and/or broth during this fast
- Do a 2-3 day total fast (drink water only) once during Lent; consider taking off work after the first day and plan a prayer retreat for these days (see appendix)
- Give up TV shows and movies
- Give up watching sports
- Give up video gaming
- Other?
III. Give
Test the water:
- If you regularly go out to dinner or get coffee, consider skipping once a week and putting that money toward the Good Friday Gift
- If you don’t give regularly to church, make a one-time gift
- Make a meal for someone who is sick or recently gave birth
Go deeper:
- Make a plan to invite a friend, acquaintance, or neighbor—someone who has never been into your home—over for a meal, coffee/tea, or dessert
- Once a week call a loved one
- Calculate the money saved from eating more simply through Lent; give that amount to the Baby Bank, World Relief, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the People’s Resource Center, or Feed My Starving Children
- Identify someone in your life who experiences material need; pray about an amount of money to give them and do so anonymously
- Volunteer for Holy Week
- Send someone a gift card
Dive all the way in:
- Give away a treasured article of clothing or other possession
- Write a letter of encouragement to someone in your life
- Visit someone who is shut-in, elderly, or suffering from illness
- Ask the Lord for a spontaneous opportunity to be generous, and be ready for his leading
- Other?
Are there any other disciplines or practices you are planning to incorporate into your life this Lent?
WEEK 1
Pray
Read: Acts 1:12 - 2:2
Questions to reflect as an individual or small group
Reflect:
As you look back on the Acts 1 text, what do you notice? Does a word or phrase stick out to you? Why?
As you begin this long season of prayer (and fasting and almsgiving), how do you hope the Lord might meet you at the end of the journey? Do you recall past Lenten/Holy Week journeys where God met you in a noticeable way?
Discuss with your group or journal alone: why do you think prayer together is important? Have you experienced powerful prayer together with others? What was it like?
What makes prayer with others hard? What can help?
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples were instructed to wait for power from on high. They spent 10 days together in prayer, preparing themselves for what was to come—likely without much idea what that was! One result of this intensive prayer was their recognition that a very serious decision lay before them: choosing someone to replace Judas. There must have been pros and cons, arguments for each person, and potential lengthy debates about what to do. But the Bible doesn’t show the disciples doing any of this. It was in the context of prayer they recognized the problem; they knew that it was in the context of prayer the problem would be resolved.
Furthermore, their choice to seek the Lord’s face together over those 10 days prepared them for a dramatic manifestation of God’s power at Pentecost, when he sent the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised. Their faithfulness in taking the time to pray together opened them to receive God’s presence and to be sent out as the Church to bring the gospel to the world.
Likewise for us, Lent is a season of prayerful anticipation. As we look forward to meeting the Lord during Holy Week (and beyond), our preparation matters. Our disciplines aren’t to prove anything to anyone, God or ourselves included. But they do open us to what God is doing and preparing to do. Those who seek, shall also find. As was the case for the disciples in replacing Judas, often in extended times of prayer together we become aware of our needs and those of the Church. Out of earnest prayer together, God brings resolution. The prophetic dimension of prayer is released only when the people of God are gathered together in prayer.
Try this week:
Plan a time for extended prayer with other people. There are many resources for this! You can pray a daily office together, such as Morning, Midday, Evening Prayer [BCP pg. 11ff.]. You can pray through the Great Litany [BCP pg. 91]. Or you can simply pray informally without a liturgy. You can pray with roommates, friends, children, or your spouse. Praying for your needs and the needs of those present is always good, but also try to pray for those beyond the circle of people praying. Listen for how God might lead you.
WEEK 2
fast
Read: Daniel 10:1-14
Questions to reflect as an individual or small group:
Reflect:
In your own words, describe the purpose of fasting. What has your experience of fasting been?
In what ways can we go wrong in fasting? How do we stay centered?
If you practice Sabbath, what do you notice about your Sabbath day practice? What is hard about it? How does God meet you during that time?
If you don’t practice Sabbath, what are the reasons that keep you from it?
In this passage, Daniel fasts from “delicacies” in response to a word that troubled him. This is similar to the practice of giving up certain foods during Lent (especially foods that symbolize celebration, like sweets and alcohol). The angel said that he was sent because Daniel humbled himself before God by fasting and praying. So we see that Daniel responds to God’s initial word by fasting, and then God responds to Daniel’s fasting with another word/message.
This passage reveals a direct connection between our fasting and our experience of God, between fasting and God responding to us. Of course, we cannot manipulate or control God by fasting. But God does honor our fasting when done in the right spirit. Daniel’s fast was a tangible expression of his interior posture, one of humility. In fasting, we both feel and express our deep dependence on God. When God sees this, he is pleased! Read again verses 11-12 to see God’s heart toward those who humble themselves through fasting.
In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster observes that, in a culture obsessed with food (buying, preparing, eating, or eating out), “fasting seems out of place, out of step with the times.” In contrast, he points out reasons the Bible gives to us for why we should fast, including:
- To strengthen our prayer life
- To seek Gods’ guidance
- To express repentance and a desire to return to God
- To humble oneself before God
- To express concern for the work of God
- To identify with and serve the poor and the oppressed
- To prepare for a special season of ministry
- To obey and love Jesus who said we should fast
As in Daniel’s case, there are more ways to fast than totally abstaining from food. In our current culture, media fasts and practicing the Sabbath are crucial types of fasting. When we abstain from technological stimulation, or when we choose to put work aside, we are creating space for God in a way that mirrors how fasting from food creates emptiness in our bodies that he can then fill.
Try this week:
Keep a Sabbath day this week. Refrain from all work that is related to your job (or homework, if you are a student). Keep all other work (housework, errands, etc.) to a bare minimum. True Sabbath does not mean a day to catch up on other tasks that are not job-related. Along with refraining from work, make special time to be with God. Church certainly counts, if Sunday is your day of rest. Consider some other activity that will enrich your walk with the Lord (see appendix for ideas).
If you already regularly keep a Sabbath day, consider a partial or total media fast on your Sabbath: no music, radio, social media, texts, phone calls, YouTube, movies, or TV.
WEEK 3
give
Read: 1 John 3:16-18
Questions to reflect as an individual or small group:
Reflect:
What are some barriers you face as you try to implement regular giving during Lent?
Is regular giving or spontaneous giving more comfortable for you? What might God be trying to teach you about himself through generosity?
In the 1 John passage, a direct connection is made between God’s generosity and ours. In your own words, explain his logic.
Look at v. 18 again. Is there a dissonance in your life between what you say and what you do? Or between what you think you believe and what your actions reveal is actually important to you? How does this relate to the area of money especially?
Giving—or almsgiving, as it is sometimes called—is a crucial part of a life of spiritual discipline because it turns us outward in love to the world. Prayer and fasting develops our love for God. As John emphasizes, the sign that God’s love abides with us is our willingness to serve others, especially in practical ways.
Regular and planned giving (such as tithing), helps keep our generosity muscles strong through regular practice. But almsgiving is a different kind of generosity that is more responsive and flexible. Giving spontaneously in response to the needs that arise before us reminds us that our resources ultimately belong to God and must be available for him to use. This practice keeps our hearts soft and our grip on money loose (or, we should say, money’s grip on us!). It may feel riskier or more difficult to sacrifice in unexpected ways. The discipline/virtue of generosity has been said to reflect the heart of God above all other virtues, because it is out of His generosity that He has created us, saved us, and provided us with everlasting life.
Try this week:
Set aside money and discuss where to give it with your family or roommates. Consider World Relief, the Baby Bank, the Good Friday Gift, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, or even an anonymous gift to someone you know who is in need.
WEEK 4
pray
Read: Mark 1:35
Questions to reflect as an individual or small group:
Reflect:
You’re past the halfway point of this Lenten journey! Note in your prayer journal: what have you noticed about your prayer life and relationship with Jesus as you have implemented your regular prayer discipline?
We might wonder how Jesus spent all night in prayer. What do you think it might have looked like? How might he have prayed?
What are the benefits of short but regular practices of prayer? What are the benefits of less frequent but extended time in prayer?
Before he went out to preach and cast out demons, even Jesus took time to pray alone for extended periods of time. His time and energy was in great demand: crowds gathered daily to hear him, sick people sought him out for healing, and even his enemies tracked him down to ask questions. When his disciples find him, they make sure he knows this! Of all people, Jesus had reasons to feel too busy to pray.
But Jesus doesn’t apologize for taking the time away. And he doesn’t stop doing it—later in Mark 6:31 and 6:46, he again pulls away to pray. In the first instance, the disciples have just returned from intensive missions, and Jesus recognizes the need for retreat and restoration. He is interrupted by the crowds appearing at the retreat site. Instead of a retreat, he has more work to do—teaching all day and then miraculously feeding the hungry multitude. After this (v. 46), Jesus finally has time to himself. How does he use it? To pray… and he spends all night in fellowship with his Father. That is how he recovers and restores his soul.
In the midst of our busy lives, hearing from the Lord requires focus, quiet, and time. Of course, God knows our limitations and seasons of life. Our prayer times won’t all look the same and will change over the course of our lives. However, in almost any season, no matter how busy, there is usually some way to make time for extended fellowship with God. We need God’s presence, guidance, and refreshment to live fully into our callings.
Try this week:
Plan to take a prayer retreat. If you can’t fit it in the schedule this week, look ahead for a time to do one soon. If you’ve never done a prayer retreat, start with a 2-4 hour block of time. (Tip for parents with small children: Take turns giving your spouse the gift of a few hours on a Saturday morning.) If you’ve done a half-day retreat before, try an all-day retreat. And if you simply cannot get away for a retreat, consider walking in a forest preserve for an hour as you pray. Whatever you do, it is important to make a plan for how you are going to use the time. Here’s how:
- Plan where to go. You could pray in a forest preserve, our prayer chapel, another church’s prayer chapel (try a Catholic church near you), a library quiet room, a friend’s house, your own home, etc. For a longer retreat, move between several locations.
- Plan how you’re going to spend your time. Create a basic schedule ahead of time. Be careful not to overcrowd the schedule and be open to make adjustments along the way. One of the benefits of a retreat is that you can give more time to normal prayer practices that often feel rushed. For example, extended time for confession/examination, thanksgiving, or journaling, to name a few. Choose from the following options for how to build your schedule:
– praise and thanksgiving
– confession/examination
– silence
– listen to worship music, or go where you can play an instrument and sing
– Lectio Divina or other Bible meditation exercises (see prayer resources and practices)
– journaling, art or creative writing
– intercede for loved ones, the Church, and the world
– breath prayers (see prayer resources and practices)
– ask God for guidance about a particular situation
– read through a book of the Bible
– read other fiction or something enjoyable
- Plan where to go. You could pray in a forest preserve, our prayer chapel, another church’s prayer chapel (try a Catholic church near you), a library quiet room, a friend’s house, your own home, etc. For a longer retreat, move between several locations.
WEEK 5
FAST
Read: Acts 13:1-3
Questions to reflect as an individual or small group:
Reflect:
How has fasting affected other areas of your life? Have you noticed the Lord speaking to you as you fast, or noticed your ability to pray is different?
Is there a place where you need guidance from the Lord or are waiting for a word from him? Might fasting provide an opportunity to invite him to speak? Use a journal, and when you fast this week, write about your need for guidance. Listen for his response.
As already noted, fasting from food can open us to hear God by emptying us of other distractions and humbling us before him. We can hear him more clearly and receive his guidance. That’s why often in Scripture we see godly people fast before making difficult decisions. In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit comes to the church at Antioch as they worship and fast. We could rightly interpret it: because they were worshipping and fasting. He reveals his will for Paul and Barnabas after these leaders have made room to hear his voice (see v. 2). After the decision is made to launch them on a missionary journey, the church commissions Paul and Barnabas. How? That’s right. With more prayer and fasting (v.3).
Now read Acts 14:21-23. Here we see Paul and Barnabas concluding the mission trip that was launched in chapter 13. The final act of their trip was to appoint leaders for the newly established churches of fresh disciples. After being chosen, these leaders were then committed to the Lord though prayer and fasting.
The book of Acts teaches us that big decisions and big moments in the life of the Church must be bathed in prayer and fortified through fasting.
Try this week:
Do a multiple meal fast. When fasting for multiple meals, you should still drink water. If you need energy, drink juice or hot water with honey. If you already regularly fast for a day, consider stretching to one additional meal or a second day.
Fasting must be accompanied by prayer. It is easiest to pray during the mealtime when normally you’d be eating. In this space, types of prayer that are well suited for fasting are: extended self-examination/confession, reading Psalms, meditating on a single verse, extended prayer for people and/or situations that need a breakthrough, worship/adoration/thanksgiving.
WEEK 6
give
Romans 12:9-13
Questions to reflect as an individual or small group:
Reflect:
Easter is almost here! How has God met you as you have intentionally made space for him this Lent through your disciplines?
Which ways of giving come naturally to you (energy, time, money, etc.)? Which are harder? Why do you think that is?
This whole chapter is a succinct, yet comprehensive, summation of the Christian life. It is strikingly concrete and filled with pragmatic instruction. Every phrase could easily be turned into a full sermon. In verse 13, we see that an important part of the virtuous life is generosity. Further, generosity extends beyond giving money. Paul draws a connection between “contributing to the needs of the saints” and “practicing hospitality.” The connection is not random.
Almsgiving seeks to alleviate the suffering of the materially poor. Hospitality brings comfort to the lonely. The one involves an open hand, the other an open home. And in our day of isolated, individualistic living, more people than ever are suffering from loneliness. It can be hard sometimes to share our hard-earned money with others, especially when we don’t feel that we have much to spare. It can be hard, likewise, to share our time and our lives, to allow others into our places of refuge and rest, when refuge and rest – and a quiet evening – seem a priceless and rare commodity.
The heart of generosity means recognizing and trusting God’s abundance toward us, and seeking to share that however we can. If we open our hand to share material goods with others, it is because we are confident that with our Heavenly Father there is more where that came from. When we open our lives and make room in our calendars for those who wouldn’t normally darken our door, we can be confident that our Heavenly Father knows the rest and restoration we need, and he will supply it. Whatever we sacrifice in the way of money or time is not lost. In Jesus, those sacrifices are rewarded and returned upon us in blessing. Of course, just trying harder will lead to burnout and bitterness. We must begin, as Paul does, with genuine love for God and others. That is a gift that God loves to give when we ask.
Try this week:
Volunteer with a friend, your family, RezGroup, or roommates at organizations such as Feed My Starving Children or World Relief. You can also reach out to a pastor for information on how to volunteer for a Replanted meeting (our ministry to adoptive and foster care families).
OR: Invite to dinner a neighbor, acquaintance, or a friend who has never come to your place for a meal, coffee/tea, or dessert. If your family or house of roommates has a communal gathering or a game night, invite someone who doesn’t normally attend or who may not have a place to go.
For contemplation
Lenten Art
Resurrection artists Michael Skura and Lindsey Bergsma collaborated to each paint depictions of
Jesus in the Wilderness for us to contemplate this Lent.
Additional Resources
What is Lent?
Father Trevor, a priest in our diocese who pastors City of Light Anglican in Aurora, IL, created this wonderful podcast episode introducing the season of Lent. He addresses the questions:
- What is Lent?
- Why should I practice it?
- Where did it come from?
- How do I decide what to do during Lent?
- How do I fast?
- How do I pray?
- Get on our email list