What Is Lent and Why It Matters

Ever feel like your church calendar skips straight from Christmas cheer to Easter celebration—missing something crucial in between? You're not alone, and Lent might be the answer.

Join Joshua Lewis and author Elyse Fitzpatrick to understand why Lent matters for every believer—not just the high church crowd. Elyse shares her transformative Ash Wednesday experience during the pandemic and why spending 40 days reflecting on Christ's suffering changed everything about her faith.

This isn't about earning brownie points with God through religious rituals. It's about understanding that before glory comes suffering—and why Western Christianity desperately needs to recover this truth. Elyse unpacks how fasting reveals our weakness so we can rest in Christ's strength, and why biblical lament looks nothing like hopeless despair.

This conversation challenges our therapeutic, comfort-obsessed culture. Discover why the church calendar isn't just liturgical tradition—it's discipleship that keeps Christ's life and work constantly before our eyes. Learn how to practice godly lament, embrace voluntary weakness, and find hope in the wilderness seasons of life.

In This Episode:
-Why low-church Christians should care about Lent and the church calendar
-The difference between fasting for merit versus fasting for remembrance
-How to practice biblical lament with resurrection hope
-Why American Christianity avoids suffering and what we lose because of it
-The hidden grief of Palm Sunday and burned palm branch symbolism
-Balancing community service with personal solitude during Lent

0:00 – Introduction
3:07 – What is Lent and Why Does it Matter?
8:54 – The Experience of Ash Wednesday
15:12 – Jesus in the Wilderness and Voluntary Weakness
27:13 – Why "Friend of Sinners"?
34:42 – Understanding Healthy Christian Lament
42:34 – Palm Sunday Triumph and Weeping
51:03 – Closing Thoughts

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