About Lent
Resources
Throughout the season of Lent, we are called to deepen our prayer life. For some of us, this means beginning a habit of daily prayer, setting aside time each day to share our hopes, joys, fears, and frustrations with God. Praying first thing in the morning, while the house is still quiet, or talking to God while on your commute to work are simple ways to integrate prayer into everyday life.
Lent has traditionally been the season where we give something up, often sweets or favorite food, in order to focus on the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. But fasting is much more than a means of developing self-control. Fasting is spiritual and physical purification; the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God. Fasting and abstinence help us to participate more fully in the cross of Christ.
Charitable giving is a very ancient practice; almsgiving was normative long before the time of Jesus. The Lenten call to almsgiving means making the needs of other people our own.
One of the central lessons of the cross is compassion; the heavy burdens we carry help us to appreciate the suffering in others. Sharing our material goods is often just the beginning of real Christian giving. We are also called to share our time tending to people in need.
These practices help us to remember the merciful love and compassion that God shows all people. Participating in these practices, we journey with our community and God toward the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of our Lord. We do not make this journey alone.
The whole Church prepares for the celebration and together, along with those who are preparing to enter the Church at Easter, we try to live more faithfully to God’s call to be merciful, loving, and compassionate to those around us. Our acts of love through sacrifice and prayer are tangible witnesses of God’s love for those around us.
This year we are going to approach Lent in more ways that will allow us to connect deeper with God. Each resource that we will provide will give you an opportunity to reflect and reconnect with God in a way that will encourage you to sustain what is explored. We need to hear clearly from God. The only way to do that is by making room and opening up our hearts and schedules to God.
During this Lenten season, we will offer the following: (Click to Go to Each Section)
Motivational Videos
Meditation Scriptures
February 14, 2024 (Ash Wednesday): Psalm 51:1-17; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21; Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Feb 19- Feb 24: Psalm 32:1-24; Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 5:12-19
Feb 25 – March 3: Psalm 121:1-8; John 3:1-17; Genesis 12:1-4
March 4- March 10: Psalm 95:1-11; John 4:5-42; Exodus 17:1-7;
March 11- March 17: Psalm 23:1-6; John 9:1-41; Ephesians 5:8-14
March 18- March 24: Psalm 130:1-8; John 11:1-45; Romans 8:6-11
March 25- March 30 (Holy Week): Psalm 31:9-16; Matthew 27:11-54; Philippians 2:5-11
Fasting Meal Plan
During this Lenten season, we encourage participants to intermittent fast and pray during the time that you are fasting. There are numerous ways to intermittent fast and we encourage you to choose an option that you feel comfortable with.
One option is the 16 by 8 option where you are fasting every day for 16 hours and only consuming meals during your 8-hour window.
The basics of a low-carb diet:
Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables growing above ground and natural fats (like butter).
Avoid: Sugar and starchy foods (like bread, pasta, rice, beans and potatoes).
Below is a link that provides recipes for low-carb diet:
1,300+ Delicious Low Carb Recipes – Recipe – Diet Doctor
Other Fasting Options
In Luke 4 we are invited to a story where Jesus is pushed to the desert by the Spirit where he is seen fasting for forty days from food. The scripture declares that he ate nothing during those forty days and at the end of them he was hungry.
One of the important points to note in the text is that after his fast he was hungry for not just food, but for a deeper relationship with the Father.
The fast doesn’t have to be limited to food but rather we can open the fast to include fasting from the phone, the internet, television, gossip, bad habits, etc. The point is for us to become hungry for God during this process. The choice is yours.
Whatever you think has been an overwhelming distraction for you to grow and desire God and at the same time, help will push you towards becoming hungrier for God’s presence, God’s time, God’s wisdom, use that as a fasting option.
Lenten Playlist
Prayer Wall
Often times the most overlooked pillar of Lent is prayer. There are so many wonderful ways to pray during Lent. More time given to prayer during Lent should draw us closer to the Lord.
If we pause and pay attention to the various experiences that we have lived as well as the multiple people that have crossed our path in life, we should notice that God has given us people, places, and objects to pray for. Our experiences in this world should also direct us to pray for deeper things that impact our souls.
As part of our effort to encourage prayer, the Church is providing a virtual Prayer Box. Individuals who have a special prayer request or prayer needs and would like the faith community to pray for the request are invited to write their prayer on our virtual prayer wall through padlet.
Other members of the faith community will be able to see your prayer and join you in whatever it is that you are seeking from God. During our prayer moment in worship, we will also lift up these prayers to God.
The link is listed here:
Click Here
Workout Plans
As we improve our spiritual health it Is important for us to take care of our temples. During covid one of the things that I noticed was that a lot of people in minority demographics struggled tremendously with the virus due to other underlying issues that they had.
The disparities in healthcare for minority populations were grossly noticeable and now that we are aware, we have the ability to fight against certain things that are literally killing us. The low-carb diet is key to our journey toward becoming healthier but we also have to move our bodies.
During this Lenten season, it is my desire that we develop a love for living a healthy lifestyle that includes consistent exercise regiments.
For many, this can be challenging but one thing we must understand is that as long as we are doing something, it will help us in the long run. I encourage you to connect with a small group of people that will hold each other accountable.
Five days a week for 30 minutes we want you to move your body. Here are some exercises that you can do:
30-minute walk/jog/run
30 minute cycle
30-minute Zumba class
30-minute Circuit/HIIT
30-Minute Kickboxing
30-minute Step Aerobics
Golf
Basketball
Weightlifting
Tennis
Outside-the-Box Ideas for Giving
Alms giving is the act of donating money or goods to the poor or performing other acts of charity. However, when defining almsgiving, it helps to understand the meaning behind the word itself.
The roots of the word “alms” can be found in ancient Latin and Greek words meaning mercy and pity. Similarly, the root of the word “charity” comes from the Latin “caritas,” meaning love.
Charity, or almsgiving, is an outward sign of Christian love for others. Generally, it involves some type of sacrifice on behalf of the giver in order to provide for the needs of the other. In doing this, bonds of community are formed.
Volunteer at a Senior Center or nursing home to give a human touch
Tutor a child or mentor a college student
Increase your donation to your local Church
Give to a Non-Profit Organization
Adopt a college student at an HBCU
Non-Profit Organizations
Port City Powerhouse (Youth Sports Mentorship Program)
Just Do It Movement
Johnson C. Smith University
Connecting the Gap
Community CPR
The Dream Center