FAQ.

Lent is a 40‑day journey leading to Easter, patterned after Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. It’s a season to slow down, pay attention to our souls, and allow God to form us. Lent invites reflection, repentance, and renewal—creating space for God to reshape our desires and draw us deeper into life with Him.

For centuries, followers of Jesus across many parts of the global church have used Lent as a way to return to God “with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). It’s not about earning anything from God. It’s about opening ourselves to Him through prayer, fasting, and generosity so that we can be transformed into Christlikeness.

Lent is a long‑standing Christian practice that grows out of deeply biblical themes. The Bible calls God’s people to repentance, humility, fasting, prayer, generosity, and preparation—the very rhythms Lent helps us practice together.

Scripture gives us the imagery behind Lent:

Sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance and humility

“Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” – Daniel 9:3
The king “sat in ashes” – Jonah 3:6
“I repent in dust and ashes” – Job 42:6

Dust as a reminder of our mortality

“You are dust, and to dust you shall return” – Genesis 3:19

Fasting and preparation as part of following God

“Return to me with fasting” – Joel 2:12–13
Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness – Matthew 4:1–2
The early church fasting and praying – Acts 13:2–3

The season of Lent began in the early centuries of the church as a time of fasting and preparation for Easter, especially for new believers preparing for baptism. By the 4th century, Christians widely embraced a 40‑day period modeled after Jesus’ time in the wilderness.

Lent simply gives us a focused, communal way to practice these biblical rhythms—slowing down, returning to God, and preparing our hearts for the hope of resurrection.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent—a season of repentance, renewal, and restoration.

Ashes remind us of our mortality and dependence on God. Scripture uses ashes as a symbol of humility and repentance, reflected in the practice of turning to God in “sackcloth and ashes” (Jonah 3:6; Daniel 9:3; Job 42:6).

 They also echo God’s words in Genesis: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:19

Lent invites us to reflect honestly on our mortality and our dependence on God. This isn’t meant to be morbid; it helps us loosen our grip on lesser things and live more fully awake to God’s presence.

The imposition of ashes is a simple, ancient Christian practice that helps us embody what our hearts are praying:

Humility — remembering our limits

Repentance — turning toward God with honesty

Hope — trusting in God’s mercy and renewal

It’s an outward sign of an inward posture: “Lord, be gracious to me. Form me. Renew me.”