Lent at Chatham

WHAT IS LENT?

 

For centuries, Christians from many traditions have observed the season of Lent, modeled after Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness. Lent is a time of repentance and rediscovery of God’s grace.


Lent is an opportunity for both personal and communal renewal and growth. Individual believers are encouraged to withdraw into the wilderness with Jesus by taking on a temporary limitation and adding spiritual practices to foster a deeper communion with God. It is a chance to take stock of your spiritual condition in light of the gospel and to seek a greater influence of the Holy Spirit. Corporately, it is a time of preparation for remembering Christ’s suffering and death during Holy Week and celebrating his victorious resurrection at Easter.



WHEN IS LENT?

 

Our observation of the 2024 Lent season begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14 and ends on Easter Sunday morning, March 31.


HOW WILL WE OBSERVE LENT AT CHATHAM?

 

‣ Wednesday Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we will gather to pray each Wednesday during Lent and into Holy Week for an hour starting at 6:30 a.m. We will meet in the Worship Center.

‣ Friday Lenten Prayer Nights, 7 p.m.
During this season, we will set aside Friday nights to join in prayer with a special emphasis on confession, repentance and intercession. We will meet in the Worship Center.

 

‣ Our Battle Prayer Night - Friday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m.
Tonight, Chatham will host a special time of prayer with believers from churches across the area as we worship together and ask the Lord to move in our community. Learn more about Our Battle on our Special Prayer page.

‣ Pray for the Lou Prayer Walk - Saturday, March 16
This morning, we will prayer walk in neighborhoods and business areas near Chatham as we participate in Pray for the Lou, a regional event with opportunities to unite in prayer with other St. Louis area churches and believers. Learn more on our Pray for the Lou page.


‣ Sunday Formation Class, 9 a.m.

During our regular Chatham Formation Class time, we will consider "Forgotten Practices," with a look at certain spiritual practices that were considered important in the past but are neglected in the church today. This class is an opportunity to expose our blind spots with the help of Scripture and the testimony of previous generations of Christians. We will meet in the Worship Center.

 

‣ Sunday Sermon Series, 10:30 a.m.
We will continue in our series "Simply Jesus: The Gospel of Mark" to see Jesus as He really is, especially through the events surrounding His crucifixion and resurrection.


‣ Holy Week
Our Holy Week services will include Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.


LENTEN SCHEDULE

  • Ash Wednesday, February 14 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Friday, February 16 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, February 18 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, February 21 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Friday, February 23 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, February 25 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, February 28 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Friday, March 1 - Our Battle Prayer Night, 6:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 3 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, March 6 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Friday, March 8 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 10 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, March 13 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Friday, March 15 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 16 - Pray for the Lou Prayer Walk, 10 a.m.
  • Sunday, March 17 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, March 20 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Friday, March 22 - Lenten Prayer Night, 7 p.m.


HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

  • Palm Sunday, March 24 - Formation Class, 9 a.m. / Worship, 10:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday, March 27 - Morning Prayer, 6:30 a.m.
  • Good Friday, March 29 - Worship, 7 p.m.
  • Easter Sunday, March 31 - Worship, 10:30 a.m.



WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING LENT?

 

It is critical to keep in mind that the point of Lent is not to observe rituals or take part in programs. The goal is to pursue a deeper relationship with God. The main question is: What will help you get closer to the Lord? Consider the following three areas:


‣ GIVE IN. Commit to additional spiritual disciplines. You can do something with your family or as a small group, or participate in special prayer meetings at church. You can follow a daily Lenten devotional; increase your Bible reading time; add confession, singing, intercession, or some other kind of prayer to your regular time with God; or go on prayer walks. Consider focusing on a particular area of growth like humility or gracious speech.

‣ GIVE UP. Commit to the biblical discipline of fasting. In its most basic and common form, fasting is total abstinence from food. Fasting should never become a means of manipulating God into giving us what we want, like a hunger strike. Instead, it is an expression of our humility and dependence on God. If your health allows, consider fasting every Wednesday or Friday during Lent (intentionally skipping one, two or all three meals that day). Remember to stay hydrated. You can also do a partial fast by giving up certain things that exert an influence over you or seem particularly important. Consider fasting from T.V., social media, video games, or other forms of entertainment; coffee, soda, or other stimulants; meat or sweets; alcohol; sex or sleep. Partial fasts sharpen our spiritual appetite and make us more aware of God’s presence and power.


‣ GIVE AWAY. Commit to generous giving of your money, time, and energy for the benefit of others. Consider giving financially to missions, benevolence, someone in need, or the church. Look for opportunities to serve someone by giving them your time or using your skills for their good. We'll have special opportunities to give during this season.


Additionally, to help us remember that our sacrifices and disciplines are a response to Christ’s finished work on our behalf, you can use Sundays as feast days to relax your Lenten commitments.



WHAT RESOURCES CAN I USE?


Daily Devotional:
‣ Our Lenten devotional, "Meditations In the Book of Isaiah," is available to download or read online.

On Lent:
‣ Aaron Damiani, "The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent" (Chicago: Moody, 2017)


On Fasting:
‣ John Piper, "A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer" (Wheaton: Crossway, 1997)

On Media Fasting:
‣ Sarah Gregor, "Going Dark for More of His Light: Prepping for a 40 Day Social Media Fast" article, miniministry.com

Additional Devotional Options:
‣ Gospel in Life offers a free 40-Day Lenten devotional.

‣ Nancy Guthrie, ed. "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter" (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009)

‣ Henri Nouwen, "Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings" (New York: Crossroad, 1992)

‣ John Piper, "Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die" (Wheaton: Crossway, 2006)

‣ Paul Tripp, "Journey to the Cross: A 40-Day Lenten Devotional" (Wheaton: Crossway, 2021)