Lent at Haymarket Church

What is Lent?

Here’s a great, simple, explanation of Lent from the United Methodist Church:

Suggestions for Practicing a Holy Lent

Lent is a time to ask forgiveness for our sins, think about how we can live more faithfully, and try out new practices. It has traditionally been a time of fasting (“giving something up”) but is also a very appropriate time to “try something new.” So, below we have offered some suggestions of things you might try to help you experience Lent more fully. Don’t try all of them (that would be overwhelming) – just pick a few that work for you and your family, or come up with your own practice. This should be challenging (we need to be challenged if we want to grow) but not so challenging that you quit after a few days.

• Worship, online or in-person, each Sunday (In-Person: 10:00 AM at Haymarket Elementary School, 15500 Learning Lane, Haymarket; Online: 9 AM or 10 AM on Facebook, YouTube, and our website).
• Participate in the Haymarket Church online devotional. Text “Lent” to 571-487-8557 to sign up to receive it.
• Participate in our churchwide study of “Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts, and Outlaws.” Email info@haymarketchurch.org to request your free copy of the book.
• In a time of war, violence, and anxiety, spend 10 or 15 minutes each day praying for peace.  If you don’t know what to pray, simply repeat “Lord, bring us your peace.” Repeat it slowly.  Perhaps make it a breath prayer – say “Lord” as you breathe in and “bring us your peace” as you breathe out.
• Commit to reading two chapters from the Gospels each day. If you start with Matthew 1 at the beginning of Lent, you should finish John by sometime during Holy Week.
• Many LGBTQIA+ folks feel under attack recently, and LGBTQIA+ teenagers have a significantly higher risk of suicide than the rest of the teenage population.  In the spirit of the God who loves and welcomes all of us (no matter who we are!), and in the interest of promoting a culture of life in which all children and teenagers get to grow up safely and well-loved, make a donation to The Trevor Project, an organization that works to provide support, love, and suicide-prevention services for LGBTQIA+ young people.  You can donate here.
• Commit to spending 10 minutes each morning and 10 minutes each evening in prayer. If you already do that, try to add 10 minutes in prayer at lunch as well.
• Write a letter to someone who lives far away. Tell that person about your life and about how much you care for him or her.
• Share a meal with someone who is lonely.
• Give up going out to eat at (or ordering takeout from) restaurants. Figure how much money you save and give it away to an organization that fights against hunger.
• Do something really nice for someone who frustrates you.
• Read Scripture for an extra ten minutes each day.
• For most of history (and in much of the world today), meat was a rare delicacy/treat. Give up eating meat during Lent and learn about how most other people in the world have lived.
• Don’t use any paper towels or napkins – instead, use only cloth products. Then, take some time to wonder about how much trash we produce each day.
• Visit someone in prison, a nursing home, or the hospital weekly.
• Offer help to someone who is struggling to pay their bills.
• Cook a meal for a family who is overwhelmed and deliver it to their home.
• Each week, take someone who is on a tight budget out for lunch. Have a good conversation and then pay for the meal (tip well!).
• Write one thank you note each day to someone who has made your life better. Take time to think about unnoticed people (servers at restaurants, workers at grocery stores, delivery people, people who make the things we use) and try to include them too.
• Pray for your enemies each day. Include (among others) violent groups around the world, criminals in this country, people with whom you disagree politically, and folks in your family and daily life who you just don’t like very much.
• At the end of each day, spend a few minutes reflecting on what happened during the day. List the times when you felt close to God, the times when you felt far from God, the times when you were faithful to God, the times when you were tempted to sin, and the times when you actually sinned. Then confess your sin to God and thank God for sustaining you.
• Try tithing – giving 10% of your income to church – from now until Easter. See what happens.
• Make a list of 5 people in your life who might need to experience more of God’s light and love. Pray for them each day and ask God to show you how to share God’s love with them.
• Spend 10 minutes each day reading the news and praying over it – read the articles with an eye towards praying for the people involved, and ask God to show you how you can make a difference.
• Take a true Sabbath each week – no work emails, no working from home, simply resting and caring for yourself.
• Have at least one real conversation with someone who is really different from you (in terms of income, race, political beliefs, religious beliefs, etc.) each week. Take time to learn about that person. Then, pray for that person all week.