The Wheatland Mission

Our Lenten Strategy

The phrase "Lenten Strategy" sounds strange to me but I can't think of a term that fits better. I say strategy to make the point that we have something we are seeking to accomplish and this strategy will we help us get there. Our goal through Lent is not to see how long we can fast from something important to us, nor is to have a worship time that is more somber and contemplative, nor do we observe Lent for the sake of experimenting with more experiential worship elements. Rather, Lent is something we do for the sake of growing closer to and more like Christ. It is a time of worship, reverence and repentance. Our simple strategy helps us get there.

Three Parts
Part 1: We fast. We do not engage in the discipline of fasting in order to manipulate God or make ourselves feel superior to the people around us who may or may not be fasting. (In fact, if you are tempted to fast for the sake of feeling superior then I recommend you fast from fasting.) Fasting is one way for us express our repentance. The Christian walk should be one of ongoing repentance. There is not a time in our life when we are free from this need and Lent is a season of acknowledging our wrong doing and thinking. It is a time when we acknowledge our complete need for God and our complete inability to get to him without him first reaching out to us.

Use your fast as a tool for reminding you of Christ's goodness. Let everytime you notice the loss of that which you are fasting from become an opportunity for prayer and adoration of Jesus. There is something about fasting that empowers us to focus more intently upon Christ. Let it move you in that way.

Here are some things you might want to consider fasting from: caffeine, sugar, meat, desserts, alcohol, the newspaper, the news, television, listening to music in your car, talk radio, movies, the internet, etc. This list is not exhaustive and none of these things are wrong in and of themselves. Choose something that is important to you and that you would miss. It is noticing the loss of this in your regular life that makes the fast helpful to you. Fasting is for the purpose of your growth so pick something that matters. Because this fast is something we are doing as a community I encourage you to encourage one another through this process. Talk to one another about what you are learning.

Here is one last note on fasting. Sundays are to be an oasis time during your fast. Sundays have historically been considered feast days or celebration days. Therefore, don't fast on Sunday. There are forty-eight days in Lent. You are fasting from forty of them and taking once a week breaks on Sundays. I think this will help us keep the fast in perspective and not slide into a legalistic attitude.

Part 2: Spiritual Formation Groups. These groups are designed to expose us to new and different ways of walking with Jesus. In past weeks we have emphasized the importance of "practices" such as prayer, engaging Scripture, and taking notice of Christ and his Kingdom in the world. The Spiritual Formation Workbook is an excellent resource that provides us new and useful practices to enhance our experience of being spiritually formed by Christ.

Part of our strategy is to utilize this special tool within the context of a handful of friends for the sake of growing in Christ-likeness. If you are not already a part of a house church that is using this tool then I encourage you to gather a small group of friends and pursue Christ together with this book as your guide.

Part 3: In The Journey With Jesus. This is a series of talks that we are going to cover during Lent. Beginning with the story of the Transfiguration and ending with the story of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection we will examine the journey that Jesus made toward the end of his ministry on the way to the cross. As I have mentioned before, Lent helps keep us from being ambushed by Easter. We can then better experience and participate in all that God has set before us for that special time of the year.

All of this begins with our special Lenten Prayer Gathering this Wednesday night. It begins at 7:00 in the Tallgrass East Clubhouse at 9910 Clubhouse.

posted by The Wheatland Mission @ 10:51 PM