Lent 2025
Cccseattle March 5, 2025

Hey CCC Family! Lent begins today, March 5th, and our hope is that we could observe this significant time in the church calendar together. Here’s what Lent is all about and how you can participate:

What is Lent?

Lent is a 40-day period (excluding Sunday’s) in the Christian calendar where believers down through the ages and around the world have prepared themselves for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It begins every year 6 weeks before Easter Sunday, and this year it starts on Wednesday, March 5th. This 40-day period mirrors Jesus’ own time in the desert as he prepared himself for ministry and emerged in the power of the Holy Spirit.

How do we observe Lent?

Traditionally Lent is a voluntary time of fasting, prayer, and giving. The observance of Lent is not commanded in scripture but a tradition of the historical Christian church. The goal is spiritual growth not duty or obligation.

First, it’s a time for fasting. In the same way Jesus fasted in the desert, believers fast during Lent. Some give up a specific food or drink. Others give up things like social media or TV. The point of abstaining from something is not to go through a religious exercise but to make room in our hearts and our minds for more of Jesus. During Jesus’ own 40 days in the desert he fasted. While in the desert he was tempted by the Devil to turn rocks into bread. He responded by saying: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). This summarizes the purpose of Lent very well. We are much more than our desires and our cravings. To practice abstinence in any form is to give our souls room to reach out to what they need more than food and entertainment–communion with the living God. 

Second, it’s a time of prayer. When we abstain from physical nourishment, we are directing our souls to deeper spiritual nourishment. When we repent, we turn away from sin and turn towards the cross. This is where prayer, scripture, and silence come in. Lent is a time to uncover the false and functional saviors in our lives and cling once again to our true savior, Jesus Christ. It’s also a time to confront the devil with God’s power and not our own. There are many ways we can practice prayer. Here are a few recommendations for both personal and corporate prayer during this time:

  • 40 Days of Prayer for Seattle – As you have already heard, we are joining with believers across our city to pray for the next 40 days leading up to Easter. Make sure you pick up your Prayer Passport and try to visit the different prayer rooms across Seattle. Over the next 40 days we are not just asking for more of Jesus in our lives, but more of Jesus in our city and the lives of the many people we see every day. We invite you to jump into this movement with us. All you need to know can be found here on the Pray Seattle website: http://prayseattle.org.
  • Praying Through Lent With Lectio 365 – This daily devotional app leads you through a 10-minute prayer and meditation through the season of Lent. This year the topic is “Landscapes of Lent”. It’s a very powerful exercise and a great way to start the day. You can download the app and each day we can pray the same things together as a church family and many others across the world: https://www.24-7prayer.com/dailydevotional.

Finally, Lent is a time of giving. The life of Christ was a life of sacrifice. As we step back and consider the greatest gift of all we can look for opportunities to reach out to people who need to experience our generosity and hospitality. How might you slow down to see what God is doing in the lives of others, as well as make room to share his love and his gospel? This can also be a time to find a way to serve as well as give financially above and beyond your normal giving.

These 40 days leading up to Easter are a significant time to prepare our hearts for more of Jesus and more of his resurrection power in our lives, our city, and our world. These are just a few guiding principles and opportunities to help along the way. We are praying that the resurrection life of Jesus would become more real to us this year than ever before. We are also praying that God will continue to move powerfully in and through His church to reach the world around us. Thankfully, we can be certain, that Jesus is alive, and the resurrection life of Christ will always have the last word!

-Pastor Jeff & the CCC Team