THREE LENTEN PATHWAYS

CHOOSING A LENTEN PATHWAY…

There are many long-held traditions of the church that are steeped in meaning, power, and stories of transformation. When they are approached in sincerity and vulnerability, these very traditional spiritual disciplines can lead to incredibly powerful changes in our hearts and minds. These traditions may not be new or fancy, but they work.

As a church, we try to use the season of Lent as a tool to shake things up in our spiritual lives and challenge ourselves in deeper, richer ways. Lent is a 40 day season leading up to Easter that faith communities around the world participate in together. 

This year, the Lenten season runs from Wednesday, February 22nd until Good Friday, April 7th.  This year we are continuing a new tradition we began two years ago, but really churches have been practicing giving up daily comforts or habits like this for generations. We are challenging each member of our faith community to choose a Lenten Pathway.

Over the next 40 days during Lent, you can choose one or more of these pathways to follow - but you won’t be in this alone! You will be connected with others in our community who are also choosing that specific path. Share articles or helpful tips with that pathway community, and bond over the shared experience. Each pathway will have an opportunity to come together to share a meal at 2810 so that you have and chance to share your experiences face-to-face, and get to know those on this journey with you on a deeper level.

So what are the pathways? 
To put it simply: Food. Tech. Stuff.

The Traditional Path

(Fasting from Food)

This Pathway is the most traditional and common type of fast - abstaining from certain foods. You can choose several different ways to walk this food-restriction path, but this group will be focused on removing unnecessary sugars from our daily diet. Join us if you want to put down the sugar and pick up God’s word and become more attuned to the Holy Spirit. Our goal is to turn our cravings and desire toward God and seek him first as Comforter, Healer, Provider and Companion. If you are interested in participating in “The Traditional Path”, you can click here for more information.

The Analog Path

(Fasting from Tech)

This Pathway is more psychological than physical. This Pathway might include removing all the social media apps and games from your phone, unplugging the TV, or turning off your computer unless you are at work. Again, we aren’t going to tell you what to do, but we recommend making drastic cuts to the amount of time and energy poured into digital media and relationships. Together, we will find ways to replace those “on screen” interactions with face-to-face opportunities to build relationships. If you are interested in participating in “The Analog Path”, you can click here for more information.

The Sustainable Path

(Fasting from Stuff)

This Pathway challenges us to balance what we want with what we really need. Most of us make purchases out of desire, habit, or on a whim more often than we’d like to admit. Weekly grocery shopping excluded, this pathway’s challenge is to not buy anything for 40 days, unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you do end up needing make a purchase for school, work, or the kids, try shopping second-hand. If you want to stretch this challenge a bit further, be intentional about setting up a recycling or composting system at your home that the whole family can follow! If you’re interested in participating in “The Sustainable Path”, you can click here for more information.