When God waited patiently
First Sunday in Lent
Blessed Lent, friends!
Welcome to the first Sunday in the Church’s six-week journey of prayerful repentance.
Today’s letter includes:
A brief introduction to the season of Lent
A few thoughts from the first few days of Lent
Plus, for paid subscribers only
Today’s art and music pairing
Practices and prayers for the first Sunday in Lent
A note about how my Lenten fasting feels so far and a look ahead to a fast I’m inviting you to join in the coming week
Note: For a better viewing experience, click the title of today’s post to view the image and play the video from the Substack app or my Substack website.
Let’s begin.
Why Lent?
From Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, we follow the account of Christ as he makes his way to the Cross. Lent is a 40-day lesson in what it means to be bodies cursed by death and decay. If you've ever received the cross-shaped ash on your forehead, you've heard the pastoral reminder of a very real and sad state in which we find ourselves: Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return.
Because once we were alienated from God, this reminder that we are dust meant that we lived as people with no hope. As we follow Christ's invitation to carry the cross with Him on the road of suffering, we seek mercy for those still living in that state. Lent’s practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving ground us in true humility and gratitude that lead to prayerful repentance for the sake of the whole world.
Paradoxically, we discover joy in humility, peace in confession, and love in reconciliation along the way.
Through the years, I’ve come to understand that as much as the practice of fasting certain pleasures during Lent, it’s also what I feast on during these weeks that reminds me that resurrection is real. The feast days will come again not only in April but forever in our eternal home. Today, we get to break our fast and remember that, in Jesus, resurrection life has already begun.
By the way, one of my friends and pastors, Rev. Ryan Willers, preached a rich sermon on Ash Wednesday. You can listen to it here.
Community Practice & Prayer
Read today’s lectionary passages from the Book of Common Prayer (Year B)
Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:3-9; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-131
Pray out loud the Collect for the First Sunday in Lent from the Book of Common Prayer.
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations, and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Break the fast
On Sundays during Lent, we break our fast (at least partially). Enjoy something you've given up, giving thanks to Christ for the abundance we receive from his obedience and great love.
Keep practicing and praying the daily office from the Book of Common Prayer.
Subscribe to A Restful Lent Daybook to receive daily Scripture, prayers, and practices for Lent. If you’d prefer not to do that, you can access this week’s scripture readings, as well as morning and evening prayers, on my church’s website.
Contemplative Practice & Prayer
Prayerfully contemplate and respond to today’s art and music pairing.
