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I'm curious on your thoughts about Lent and why our church denomination does not observe it.

During the service, we mentioned that while we intentionally lean into certain worship rhythms seasonally (like singing more hymns during this time), we don’t formally observe Lent as a church. That naturally raises the question: why?

First, it may be helpful to define what Lent is.

Lent is a 40-day season in the historic Christian calendar leading up to Easter (not counting Sundays). It begins on Ash Wednesday and is traditionally marked by repentance, reflection, prayer, and sometimes fasting. The 40 days echo Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. For many churches (particularly Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and some other liturgical traditions) Lent is a meaningful way of preparing hearts for Good Friday and Easter.

Some practices associated with Lent include Ash Wednesday services, fasting from certain foods or habits, and Shrove Tuesday (historically a day of confession and preparation before the fast begins), which is why it became associated with pancakes.

So why don’t we formally observe Lent?

As a Foursquare church, we are more shaped by the historic evangelical and Pentecostal stream of Christianity. Our traditions have not typically formally followed the entire liturgical calendar. That said, some Foursquare churches do lean into Lenten practices more intentionally, while others simply haven’t made it part of their regular church rhythm.

It may be helpful to say: “Has not” does not equal “does not.”

Lent is not commanded in Scripture. It is a historic church practice developed over time as a way to help believers reflect more intentionally on repentance and preparation for Easter.

In that sense, it’s similar to Advent. Advent is also not prescribed in the Bible, but many churches find it helpful as a structured season of anticipation before Christmas.

At Hillside, we do observe Advent in a visible way, lighting candles during the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent fits naturally into our gathered rhythm because it follows a fixed calendar pattern. Everyone knows December 25th is coming, and the four Sundays leading up to it are easy to plan around.

Lent functions differently. It spans 40 days (again, not counting the Sundays) leading up to Easter, and because Easter shifts each year, the Lenten calendar requires a different level of planning and structure to observe corporately. That doesn’t make it less meaningful, but it does mean it works differently in a local church setting.

For now, we’ve chosen to emphasize the heart of the season without formally organizing around the full Lenten calendar.

Faithful Christians approach these rhythms differently. And both approaches can honour Jesus.

So our choice not to formally observe Lent is not a rejection of it. It’s simply an expression of our current church rhythm and leadership discernment. And it’s something we remain open-handed about as we continue to grow together.

The deeper invitation of this season remains the same, regardless of labels: Prepare your heart. Reflect on Christ’s sacrifice. Draw near to Him.

And that’s something we absolutely want to do.

If you have a question that you’d like to explore, we’d love to hear from you. Healthy faith makes room for honest questions. And we’re glad to walk that journey together.