A Lenten Message to the Southern Ohio Synod
Back to News“Why do Lutherans do Lent?”
This question was posed to me a few weeks ago and it has led me to reflect on our practices during this sacred season.
Do we, as Lutherans, do Lent?
We often say we are on a Lenten journey, preparing for Easter—but do we actually do Lent?
Indeed, we do. And in doing so, we are drawn more deeply into relationship with Christ and with one another.
Lent is a season of action. It is a time of intentional discipline, a time when we, as disciples and followers of Jesus, follow the path to the cross. This year, as we embark on this sacred journey, let’s reflect on what it means to do Lent.
Doing Lent includes (but is not limited to!):
Ash Wednesday
On this day, some will receive the sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads or hands. This cross is a powerful reminder:
- Of our mortality—“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
- That our forgiveness and salvation come only through the blood of Jesus Christ.
- That Jesus walked this journey for us out of God’s boundless love for you and me.
- That the cross is central to our lives as Christians.
Weekly Midweek Worship
Lent offers another opportunity to gather midweek in worship, centering our hearts on a shared theme and drawing us deeper into God’s presence.
Soup Lunches & Suppers
These simple meals of soup and bread (perhaps even a dessert) provide fellowship, study, and worship. They remind us that community is at the heart of our faith and that the table—no matter how humble—is a place of belonging.
Giving Something Up for Lent
Fasting is a traditional Lenten practice that helps some focus on the meaning of the season. However, true fasting isn’t just about giving something up—it’s about transformation. If you give up Fritos for Lent, but return to them as soon as Easter arrives, has anything really changed? Lent invites us to let go of distractions and grow in faith.
Burying the Alleluias
Not every congregation practices this ritual, but for those that do, it is a powerful symbol. Throughout Lent, we refrain from singing or saying “Alleluia” as a way of acknowledging the somber nature of the season. Then, on Easter morning, we rejoice as the Alleluias return, celebrating Christ’s victory over death!
Hymns in Minor Keys
Music shapes our worship, and during Lent, minor-key hymns create a tone of reflection, repentance, and longing for the joy of Easter morning.
Lenten Devotions
This year, our ADIJ Team has once again prepared the Living Purple Lenten Series—a devotional and study guide designed for personal or communal reflection. You can access it here.
How Do You Do Lent?
How are you preparing for the celebration of the Resurrection? Spiritual practices give us space to pause, to breathe, and to refocus on Christ amid a world that feels chaotic.
This Lent, I encourage you to invite someone to join you in a Lenten discipline. Let this be a season that leads us deeper into the salvation of the cross and the overwhelming love of God.
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31, NIV)
Lenten Blessings,
+Bishop Dillahunt and the Southern Ohio Synod Staff