Lent: Meeting Jesus in the Wilderness
Lent is a season the Church has practiced for centuries as a way of preparing for Easter. For forty days, Christians have set aside time to slow down, reflect, and attend to their inner lives in light of God’s presence.
In the Gospels, we are told that before Jesus began His public ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. For forty days, He fasted and prayed. Away from crowds and expectations, Jesus entered a place of solitude where He faced temptation, listened deeply, and remained rooted in His relationship with the Father. The wilderness was not a detour from His calling—it was part of it.
Lent follows this same pattern.
It is not a season of shame, self-punishment, or spiritual effort. Lent is a season of honesty. It invites us to pay attention to what shapes us—what holds our focus, what influences our desires, and what quietly competes for our trust. Rather than adding more to our lives, Lent often asks us to notice what might need to be released.
Practices such as fasting, prayer, and simplicity are not about deprivation. They are ways of making space. When certain comforts or distractions are set aside, we are better able to see what we depend on and where our attention naturally goes. Lent helps clarify these patterns, not so they can be judged, but so they can be brought into the light of God’s care.
In my own life, these kinds of intentional choices—to abstain, to simplify, to pay attention to what I’m reaching for—have often marked quiet turning points. When I step back from familiar comforts, I become more aware of my hunger, not just for food or distraction, but for the Lord Himself. That awareness is not always comfortable, but it is clarifying.
I’ve noticed that I come away from these seasons more aligned and centered. My desires feel less scattered. What I want most becomes easier to name. Rather than feeling depleted, I find that these practices gently re-order my loves and help me return to what matters with greater honesty and intention.
As we prepare to enter our Culture of Hunger series this Sunday, this season of Lent feels especially timely. Lent does not ask us to create hunger; it helps us notice the hunger that is already present. It teaches us to recognize longing not as a problem to solve, but as an invitation to return to God with attentiveness and trust.
Throughout Scripture, the wilderness is a place where identity is clarified. Jesus entered the wilderness already loved—named as God’s Son before He faced temptation. The wilderness did not give Him that identity; it revealed it. Lent offers us a similar opportunity: to remember who we are and to return to the God who knows us fully.
Lent invites us into quiet—not as an escape from life, but as a way of being re-oriented before we return to it.
An Invitation to Pray Together
As a community, we are observing Lent through Compline, the ancient night prayer of the Church. Compline is a simple, Scripture-shaped prayer prayed at the end of the day. It creates space to reflect honestly, release what has been, and rest in God’s presence.
You are invited to join us for Lent Compline:
Sunday Nights | 9:00–9:20 PM (Virtual)
February 22 – March 29
These gatherings are quiet and unhurried. There is no expectation to speak or perform. You are welcome to come as you are and receive this time as a gift.
If Lent has felt unfamiliar or difficult in the past, we hope this practice offers a gentle and steady way to enter the season.
The wilderness is not empty. It is a place where God meets us.
ZOOM INFORMATION:
Topic: Sunday Compline Prayer
Time: Feb 22, 2026 09:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
JOIN ZOOM MEETING
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82754570576?pwd=vpCrIikVwbwmaOfpY5bxxo0xT9qrpa.1
Meeting ID: 827 5457 0576
Passcode: 212
