Our secular world is well aware of the importance of physical disciplines. Athletes and personal trainers have taught us the benefits of regular and consistent physical effort. Yet it often seems unpopular and out of fashion to talk about spiritual disciplines. John Dickson from the Centre of Public Christianity said it was easier for people to give up alcohol for Feb Fast than to think about giving up something for Lent.
Throughout Christian history, the season of Lent has been a time when Christians focus on developing their spiritual habits. Lent is a 40-day period to renew the habits and disciplines that guide your spiritual walk throughout the rest of the year. Just like an athlete who trains for months before a big event, Lent is about consistent observance over the seven weeks. As human beings, we need Lent because it is an annual reminder that we naturally drift out of spiritual disciplines. The encouragement to each of us during the season of Lent is to focus on improving one spiritual discipline so that it becomes a more natural habit.
Whilst Lent might have been associated with periods of fasting, it can also be the season to begin a new spiritual habit, not just give up something. Here are a few examples:
1. Silence – allocate some time in your day to be silent with the intention of listening to God. Don’t have any music on, and clear your mind of your own thoughts so you can tune into God. Perhaps at the start of Lent you might only be able to last 5-10 minutes in silence, but over the 40 days of Lent you might be able to spend longer in silence listening to God.
2. Scripture – allocate some time each day to meditate on a passage of scripture. Rather than trying to read long passages of scripture, meditate on a few verses at a time, asking God to speak to you through his word. During Lent, you might choose to meditate on one of the Gospels or meditate on the Psalms.
3. Sacrifice – consider giving up something for Lent to remind you that Christians around the world do without. Some people use Lent as a time of fasting to draw closer to God. For centuries, Christians have fasted from the luxuries of life during Lent so that the Easter celebration becomes more meaningful.
4. Study – allocate some time in your day to the study of theology. Rather than giving up something for Lent, Lent might become a season to develop the habit of spiritual reading and study. Pick an area of theology or ministry and learn more about it through reading books or listening to podcasts. We have a great range of theology books in the Parish office for you to borrow during Lent.
5. Prayer Services – consider joining us for a morning prayer service on Zoom each Monday morning from 9-9:45am. Another option is to attend the Saturday morning prayer in the church's side chapel at 8am. These timeslots for communal prayer will focus on praying for the growth and health of our church.
The focus of Lent is not so much on the perfect practice of a spiritual discipline as on refreshing and renewing your relationship with God. It is important not to become like the Pharisees, who obsessed over their observance of the Law. Rather we use Lent to deepen our relationship with God; something that will benefit us long after the season of Lent has concluded.
As you begin this season of Lent, there are two important areas: having a plan and choosing a place.
1. Plan - It is important to create a concrete plan for developing the new spiritual habit that you want to begin. Some experts suggest that bad habits take 21 days to form, while good habits take more than 60 days. Lent is over 40 days long, so consider starting small habits that, when done consistently for 40 days, could add up to a big result. Therefore, develop a plan for your Lenten journey. It might be giving up something and starting something new. It might be a daily habit or perhaps a weekend habit, such as a digital sabbath. Begin with a plan, and it will be easier to see progress during the season of Lent.
2. Place - It is also important to find a place where you will develop these new spiritual habits. Decide on a specific spot to store the items you need for your spiritual habit so you don’t have to hunt them down every time. Decide on a place that is conducive to the new habit; for example, a café might be good for Bible reading but not for silence and solitude. Where is a place that feels comfortable and makes it easy to achieve your new spiritual habit?
For me, it is easy to find a place because I walk through our beautiful chapel each day. My times of prayer in the chapel are much more focused than when I try to pray in one of the rooms of our house. If, like me, you want to use our chapel during Lent, then please speak to me or one of the staff so we can arrange a time.
When someone wants to get fit, they often start going to the gym. There, in a specific place, they can decide on a new fitness plan. When the football players start their preseason, they develop a plan and a place to develop the habits that will set them up for the year ahead. This may be the year when you take up the challenge of Lent for the first time. Or maybe you have always done something for the season of Lent. My encouragement to you is to not let this season of Lent come and go without taking up the opportunity.
God doesn’t need Lent, but we do.
Blessings
Reverend Mark McDonald
Lent 2026
St Columb's
Anglican Church
Hawthorn
Comments