Lent 2026
Recovering a Season We Were Never Meant to Rush Through
For many of us, Lent comes with memories.
Some grew up in traditions where Lent meant giving up chocolate, soda, or social media for a few weeks. Others may remember it as something heavy or ritualistic, a spiritual checkbox more than a meaningful journey. And because of that, many followers of Jesus today either ignore Lent entirely or reduce it to a simple question: “What should I give up this year?”
But historically, Lent has never been about small sacrifices for their own sake. It has always been about preparation, a sacred season that has helped shape the hearts of God’s people for centuries.
Long before modern church trends, believers across cultures entered this forty–day journey leading to Easter as a time of honest reflection, repentance, and renewed surrender. The early church used Lent to prepare new believers for baptism and to call the whole community back to deeper devotion. It was a season marked not by performance, but by humility, a deliberate slowing down so that hearts could be reoriented toward Christ.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, where the words “Remember you are dust” remind us of something our culture often tries to avoid: our lives are fragile and fleeting. Yet this reminder is not meant to produce fear. It is meant to awaken wisdom. When we remember our limits, we become more open to God’s grace.
At BridgePointe, we want to invite you to see Lent with fresh eyes.
Instead of asking, “What should I give up?” consider asking a deeper question:
What in my life, if I set it aside for a season, could make me more like Jesus?
That shift moves Lent from a religious effort into a pathway of formation.
Fasting, at its core, is not about proving spiritual strength. It is about creating space, space to notice God, space to confront the things that quietly shape our desires, space to rediscover our dependence on Him. When we fast, we are not trying to impress God; we are learning to hunger for Him.
For some, that might mean fasting from a habit that dulls your spiritual attentiveness. For others, it might mean stepping back from constant noise or distraction so you can cultivate prayer and Scripture again. The goal is not deprivation. The goal is transformation.
Lent invites us into a slower rhythm, one marked by honesty, repentance, and hope. It teaches us to walk with Jesus toward the cross so that when Easter arrives, the joy of resurrection is not shallow or rushed, but deeply felt.
This year, our church will walk through a weekly Lenten devotional together. Each week will guide us through Scripture, reflection, and simple practices designed to help us prepare our hearts for Easter. Whether Lent is familiar to you or completely new, consider this an invitation, not to perform, but to return. Text the word “LENT” to 401-400-8271 and we’ll send you a weekly devotion.
Because the heart of Lent is not about what we lose.
It is about who we become when we follow Jesus more closely.
So as this season begins, don’t start with a checklist.
Start with a prayer:
Lord, what in me needs to change so that I might become more like You?
