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Lent Resources

What is Lent?

The word Lent is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for springtime, which literally translates in modern English to “the lengthening of the days.” In the early church, the Lenten period was used as a time for preparing new converts for Baptism on Easter Sunday. Today it is a time for preparation, reflection, growth, and change. The liturgical color for Lent is purple, a solemn color, a color for royalty and repentance. The liturgical color for Easter Sunday and the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost is white, signifying purity.

When is Lent?

The liturgical season of Lent begins with the solemn observance of Ash Wednesday and continues for six weeks, culminating with the church’s joyous celebration of Easter.

What is Holy Week?

Holy Week is the last week of Lent. During this week, Christians remember important events in the last days of Jesus’s life, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead.

Important Days during Lent

  • Ash Wednesday: official beginning of the Lenten season. It is a day of prayer and public confession of sins.
  • Palm Sunday: a day of change from the joyful celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the solemn knowledge of what lies ahead for him in the coming week.
  • Maundy Thursday: focuses on the Lord’s Supper and the new commandment to love one another.
  • Good Friday: on this day we remember Christ’s suffering and death on the cross.
  • Easter Sunday: celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

Lent resources for personal discipleship

Sharing Your Faith during Lent

How to respond to common questions

Lent is a time when your neighbors may be more curious about your faith. Brush up on some common questions you might get.

Get answers
Calendar icon with checkmark in middle

Lent Discipleship Calendar

Daily discipleship prompts for Lent

Challenge yourself to deepen your discipleship a little bit each day during the season of Lent.

Get the calendar

Daily Lent Devotions

Based on the Psalms

Put together by chaplains, this set of daily devotions will guide you toward the cross by exploring the Psalms.

Get Lent devotions

Lent ideas for families and children

Lent worship resources

palm fronds against a blue background to symbolize Palm SundayLentLent Worship ResourcesPrayerSeasonal Worship
February 6, 2020

Palm Sunday Prayer and Call to Worship Ideas

Celebrate Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem
A series of five narrow stained-glass windows portrays Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper.LentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
February 7, 2020

What Is Maundy Thursday and How Is It Observed?

How and why the church commemorates the Last Supper.
A thumb sweeps a horizontal stroke of ash on a young boy’s forehead, completing the sign of the cross.LentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
February 21, 2020

Ash Wednesday Worship Service Ideas

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent.
Seder supper plateLentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
April 2, 2020

What Can the Seder Supper Teach Us about the Lord’s Supper?

D uring Passover, Jews celebrate God leading his people out of slavery in Egypt to freedom. On the first night…
An Easter lily decorates the front of a church sanctuary for worship. A cross, draped in white cloth, is in the background.Church LifeLentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
April 2, 2020

Easter Worship Ideas

Songs, prayers, and other worship resources for celebrating Easter Sunday.
Girl with eyes closed and hands closed in prayerLentLent Worship ResourcesPrayerSeasonal Worship
March 2, 2020

Six Lent Prayer of Confession Ideas

Use these Lent prayers in worship or on your own.
A number of candles lighting up the darknessLentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
March 5, 2020

Stations of the Cross Tenebrae Service for Holy Week

Journey toward the cross with Jesus.
Good Friday worship remembers the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,, which this image aims to representLentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
April 5, 2020

Good Friday Worship Practices

How Christians might observe Good Friday in worship
LentLent Worship ResourcesSeasonal Worship
March 30, 2019

Lent Worship Practices Inspired by the Early Church

The season of Lent, the forty days (minus Sundays) prior to Easter, apparently began as a time for training and…

All articles about the season of Lent

An Easter lily decorates the front of a church sanctuary for worship. A cross, draped in white cloth, is in the background.
Church Life

Easter Worship Ideas

Songs, prayers, and other worship resources for celebrating Easter Sunday.
Soft pretzels on drying rack
Lent

Making Lent Pretzels: What Pretzels Remind Us during Lent

Pretzels are a popular snack year-round today, but they first became popular as a Lenten food for Christians in the…
A thumb sweeps a horizontal stroke of ash on a young boy’s forehead, completing the sign of the cross.
Lent

Ash Wednesday Worship Service Ideas

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent.
Colored plastic easter eggs used to make DIY Resurrection eggs
Faith Formation
DIY Resurrection Eggs for Holy Week
ashes in the shape of a cross on a woman's forehead
Lent
Dust and Ashes: A Confession of Faith for Job and Us
Faith Practices
What Did Jesus Eat?
Lent
Lent Worship Practices Inspired by the Early Church
variety of vegetables
Food for Faith
Going Vegetarian with the Whole Family for Lent
Seder supper plate
Lent
What Can the Seder Supper Teach Us about the Lord’s Supper?