Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV
Lent is an observed season with the objective of reflection and repentance. From February 14th to March 31st, Easter Sunday, we are inviting the church family at Commonplace to join us in some practices from church history and Jesus himself aimed at both a deeper sense of repentance over our sin and celebration over God’s grace.
WHERE TO START
Set aside some time to pray and ask God what may be weighing you down from following Jesus or what sins may be clinging closely to your heart. It may also be wise to ask a loved one who knows you well to help identify what practices (things to do) and abstinences (things not to do) could be most helpful for you in preparing to reflect on your need for Jesus and ultimately celebrate the resurrection on Easter. Remember, the objective is not simply self-denial or lifestyle change, but rather repentance of sin and deepening gratitude for the Gospel. While there is no biblical command to observe Lent, we recognize its ability to be as good a time as ever to relent and repent. This is not a requirement, but rather an invitation.
Here are some potential examples practices & abstinences:
Practices: generosity, fasting, prayer, solitude, Scripture reading, hospitality
Abstinences: food, alcohol, screen time, time-consuming hobbies & extracurriculars
GENEROSITY
Every Sunday until Easter, we will have multiple opportunities to give to those in need. Click on each for more information on needed items.
Benny's Bodega (donation collection on Sunday mornings)
Mount Olive Food Pantry (donation collection on Sunday mornings)
Market Street Mission (online monetary donation)
With these ministries, there is also the opportunity to be generous with your time. Each site provides details on volunteering your time as well.
FASTING
Every Monday until Easter, we are inviting you to join in a church-wide fast. Fasting is abstaining from food for a set-period of time. While fasting may have health benefits, the objective should be to seek God.
Here are some different forms of fasting as a reference:
Partial Fasting - refraining from food sun up to sundown, or a certain timeframe such as 7AM to 4PM.
Complete Fasting - a full 24-hour period where you only drink water.
"Soul" Fasting - while this is technically abstinence, not fasting, some church traditions encourage abstaining from other dependencies or things aside from food that may "cling closely" even if not necessarily sinful. This can include your phone, social media, television or alcohol. Whether this is once a week or for the full duration of Lent is up to you.
Seek wisdom from the Lord and your community if you're unsure on where to start. If fasting is new to you, abstaining from one meal a week could be a good place to start.
PRAYER
Every Wednesday we join together online as a church family for a time of prayer from 8:30-9:30AM on Zoom. If you are not currently attending our weekly prayer meetings, this would be a great time to join us. If you are unavailable for prayer hour, we encourage you to schedule your own time of weekly prayer with your community, spouse or family. Prayer helps us lay aside the weight of guilt, anger, suppressed emotion and so much more.
Here are some helpful Scriptures to guide your prayer time towards repentance:
Hebrews 12:1-2, Psalm 32, Psalm 38, Psalm 51, Isaiah 57:14-19, Daniel 9:16-19, Luke 18:9-14
We also have limited copies of Praying The Bible by Donald S. Whitney for those looking for an extra resource on praying through Scripture.
Request a copy HERE
SOLITUDE
Every Saturday until Easter, we are encouraging a time of solitude & silence with God.
Solitude assists us in giving our time and attention to God. Whether it's for an hour or even 10 minutes, the goal is to find a quiet place to be alone with God and away from distractions. Feel free to bring a Bible and notebook, but don't feel pressure for anything particular to happen. Uninterrupted time in God's presence is the sole objective as we lay aside the weight of distraction, busyness and hurry.
Here is a helpful resource to guide your time of solitude. Click HERE