Wednesday 5 March - Thursday 17 April

You are invited to join in observing Lent this year

4 ways you could join in with Lent

  1. Read the passage from Isaiah for the day (either the short one or the full one - for context)

  2. Pray for the subject of the day

  3. Observe a fast – you are invited to include a digital discipline

  4. Record your thoughts

Resources

If you want to learn more about Fasting and Lent, The Bible Project have a great discussion of Feasting and Fasting, or you can find some useful resources at Practicing the Way

Lent

Lent is how many people commemorate Jesus’ 40 days fasting in the desert before He began His public ministry of preaching the Kingdom with power and bringing glory to God. It is a period of repentance and restraint before the great celebration of Easter. The Greek Orthodox church calls it the “bright sadness”.

Fasting

Fasting is an ancient discipline to break the power of the flesh – our desires, sins, and cravings – and to feed on the Holy Spirit. This Lent we are focussing on where we give our attention. Is the One in whom we believe receiving the attention that is His by right?

Attention is now the defining resource of our age … and if attention is the substance of life, then the question of what we pay attention to is the question of what our lives will be.

The Siren’s Call by Chris Hayes

We will be seeking to break the power of the digital world to control our attention. We will establish a “digital discipline” - recognising those moments when we are being drawn to give our attention to our device when perhaps we could give our attention to the Holy Spirit and His work in us or to real people in our vicinity.

Fasting Ideas

  • Cut out chocolate / desserts / sweets

    Cut out meat

    Cut out alcohol / caffeine

    Drink just water (hot or cold)

    Miss one meal per day

    Fast food for 24 hours (or longer) once a week

  • Come off social media

    Turn your phone off between 10pm - 8am

    Leave your devices in a different room when you sleep

    In the hour after you wake up, pray, read the bible, talk to real people, do something, anything, before you look at your device

    Leave your buds/earphones behind when out and about

    Drive your car in silence

    Allocate a window in the day when you will look at your devices

    Turn off sounds, buzzes and flashes for notifications

    Go to the shop rather than order online

    Go to the checkout that has a person rather than self-checkout

    Leave your phone in your bag/pocket when sitting at the meal table

Prayer habits

Monday

Praying for people to come to know and follow Jesus, for conversions and baptisms. For spiritual encounters at work, on the streets, in our gatherings.

Tuesday

Praying for healing, for physical and mental healing in our community. Praying specifically for those we know who are not well.

Wednesday

Praying for material wellbeing, in our own church family first and in the community beyond too. For jobs and financial security, for food and shelter for all.

Thursday

Praying for creativity to flourish and grow: for artists, writers, musicians, dancers, actors, image makers, videographers. For remunerative careers and for beauty in our church community.

Friday

Praying for Leeds Vineyard to grow as a diverse church which learns to love and express diversity in worship, food and living together.

Saturday

Praying for revival: for the Holy Spirit to come, for conviction and repentance to follow, for a move of God in our city and in our country.

Sunday

Praying for the children and young people to have fun, learn biblical truth, make friends and enjoy lasting memories of encountering the Holy Spirit today. For every person to leave differently to how they arrived as a result of the ministry of Jesus through worship, teaching, prayer or fellowship.

Readings

  • Isaiah 1:1, 15-20 Context: Isaiah 1

  • Isaiah 2:1-5 Context: Isaiah 2:1-5, 5:1-17

  • Isaiah 6:1-8 Context: Isaiah 6 & 7

  • Isaiah 9:2-7 Context: Isaiah 8:11-22, 9:1-7

  • Isaiah 11:1-5 Context: Isaiah 10:20-34, 11:1-5

  • Isaiah 11:6-9 Context: Isaiah 11:1-12

  • Isaiah 25:6-10a Context: Isaiah 25

  • Isaiah 27:2-6 Context: Isaiah 27

  • Isaiah 29:18-21 Context: Isaiah 29

  • Isaiah 30:15-26 Context: Isaiah 30

  • Isaiah 33:2-6 Context: Isaiah 33

  • Isaiah 35:8-10 Context: Isaiah 35

  • Isaiah 40:1-5 Context: Isaiah 40:1-12

  • Isaiah 40:27-31 Context: Isaiah 40:12-31

  • Isaiah 42:1-9 Context: Isaiah 42

  • Isaiah 43:1-7 Context: Isaiah 43

  • Isaiah 45:6b-12 Context: Isaiah 45

  • Isaiah 49:8-16 Context: Isaiah 49:8-26

  • Isaiah 52:6-12 Context: Isaiah 52:1-12

  • Isaiah 53:2-6 Context: Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12

  • Isaiah 55:1-2 Context: Isaiah 55

  • Isaiah 55:6-9 Context: Isaiah 55

  • Isaiah 56:1-8 Context: Isaiah 56

  • Isaiah 56:9-12, 57:1-2 Context: Isaiah 56:9-12, 57:1-13

  • Isaiah 57:14-21 Context: Isaiah 57:14-21, 58:1-4a

  • Isaiah 58:1-3 Context: Isaiah 58

  • Isaiah 58:4b-14 Context: Isaiah 58

  • Isaiah 59:1-4, 20-21 Context: Isaiah 59

  • Isaiah 59:14-17 Context: Isaiah 59

  • Isaiah 60:1-3 Context: Isaiah 60

  • Isaiah 61:1-3 Context: Isaiah 61

  • Isaiah 62:11-12 Context: Isaiah 62

  • Isaiah 63:7-9 Context: Isaiah 63:7-19

  • Isaiah 65:17-25 Context: Isaiah 65

  • Isaiah 64:4-9 Context: Isaiah 64

  • Isaiah 66:1-2 Context: Isaiah 66:1-11

  • Isaiah 66:12-14 Context: Isaiah 66:12-24

  • Isaiah 12 Context: Isaiah 12