What Christian leaders, other Americans are doing to observe Lent

By Brandon Showalter, Opinion writer and social commentator Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Mark Batterson: Daily office and devotional plan

Lead Pastor Mark Batterson of National Community Church preaches, February 2020. | NCC

Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., is practicing a "daily office" during Lent. The daily office is the practice of beginning and ending each day with Bible reading and prayer.

His church's discipleship team is also offering a resource for Christians that includes daily devotionals, a Bible reading plan and reflection questions.

"The 40-day season of Lent is a time to reflect, repent, and pray as a way of preparing our hearts for Easter. Lent is an opportunity to get out of routine, re-center ourselves on God, and pursue the ways of Jesus," The Jesus Way resource states.

"Throughout this season we’re going to be setting aside time, both collectively and as individuals, to respond and to dive deeper into who he is and who we are in him. One thing is for sure, you can’t walk the Jesus way alone."

The first devotional notes that spiritual disciplines can be "a response to the very presence of God. But sometimes we have to make spiritual disciplines happen; we elbow-grease them into existence. Neither is right or wrong. We all start somewhere."