Christians throughout church history have found ways to identify themselves with the sufferings of the Christ. Roman Catholics meditate upon the Stations of the Cross, while other Christian traditions practice self-denial, whether that is through a rhythm of fasting or by giving up a specific item during the Lenten season. I can remember as a kid thinking through all of the things I wouldn’t miss, and then giving up one of them for the 40 days of Lent.

But why do we feel the need to identify with the sufferings of the Christ? What is the allure? One of the reasons why we feel the need to practice self-denial is that there are verses in the Bible that seem to call us to this. Philippians 3:10 states that “I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (emphasis mine). As followers of Jesus, there seems to be this calling on our lives to follow Jesus in his sufferings. Lament and sorrow are major themes in the Scriptures, and they help us to not only identify with the Christ and his sufferings, but they also help us to identify with the least of these whom we encounter throughout our time here “under the sun”. And isn’t this precisely what Jesus did when he clothed himself in flesh, and lived a life of obedience, “to the point of death, even death on a cross”.

This Lenten season we are going to spend some time meditating on Jesus’ suffering. We will highlight six events from the Passion Week, and those events will serve as the theme for each week of Lent, leading up to Easter Sunday. Each week, we will send out to the congregation through email, social media and the Sunday program, questions that will follow a weekly rhythm of prayer, fasting and service (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Our goal is to encourage our people to practice self-denial, prayer and service, for the sake of others.

This is how Jesus lived his life, and it is how he laid down his life. Therefore, we want to help cultivate rhythms in the lives of our people that will help them practice living their lives for “the glory of God, the good of the city, by extending hope through the Gospel”. The kingdom was inaugurated through the suffering of Jesus, and now we have the privilege of following Jesus in the mission he began over 2,000 years ago.

Lent began on Ash Wednesday, but we will begin our campaign next Monday, the first Monday of Lent (3/15). Below is an overview of the areas we will focus on during this time.

• Week 1 – Jesus prays in the garden and is betrayed by Judas
• Week 2 – Jesus is tried before Pilate
• Week 3 – Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns
• Week 4 – Jesus is crucified
• Week 5 – Jesus dies on the cross
• Week 6 – Jesus is placed in the tomb

We are excited for this time and we hope that you will join with us in this 6-week experience. 

To participate, you can sign-up for an email, subscribe to an RSS feed, get it on our app, or check the website Monday, Wednesday and Fridays until Easter.