Lent Week 1
Lent is a period of 40 days that leads us into celebrating Easter. For thousands of years, followers of Jesus have used Lent as a time to prepare for commemorating Jesus’ death and resurrection. Much like how we prepare for significant events in our personal lives, such as weddings or birthdays, Lent prepares us to remember Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection at Easter.
For each week of Lent, we are praying as a church for God to ready our minds, prepare our hearts, and renew our commitment to him again. This could involve surrendering particular habits and behaviours – things we do personally, at work, or in our homes. They could also be unhelpful ways of thinking about ourselves or others. There might be specific temptations we’re facing which we want to surrender and receive God’s forgiveness and freedom for.
Lent has commonly been used as a time to repent – to turn away from things that divide and damage our love for God and other people. Perhaps there are people in our own life whom we need to forgive, or even ask forgiveness from? Lent has also been a time to engage in spiritual practices such as Bible reading, prayer, and fasting. We might even practise habits that don’t benefit us alone, such as giving away part of our income to serve needs beyond ourselves.
As part of Lent, we are teaching through the Gospel of Luke. One practical step could be to read through Luke – or any of the four Gospels – and get familiar with who Jesus is and what he has done for us. It takes around 10 hours to read all four Gospels and the book of Acts. So if you spent 20 minutes per day, you could read all five books in just a month. Or even 5 mins a day would get you through any one Gospel book in a month.
Wherever we are at in our faith journey, Lent can help us be aware of things holding us back from the abundant life God desires for us, and to surrender any areas of life we’re holding back from him.
We begin this week by reading words from Mark’s Gospel and the book of Hebrews. They remind us of Jesus’ own battle and victory against temptation and sin. And after the reading, there’s a prayer asking for God’s help to turn away from anything we know to be wrong and sinful.
Scripture
Mark 1:9-13
Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Hebrews 4:15-16
We do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
your Son battled with the powers of darkness,
and grew closer to you in the desert.
He was tempted as I am, yet without sin.
Give me grace to obey your Spirit;
and, as you know my weakness,
may I know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ my gracious Lord,
who is alive and reigning with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen