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Writer's pictureRev Leigh Greenwood

Give Up, Take Up For Lent

Updated: Feb 11

Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday, which is forty days if you don't count the Sundays, and has traditionally been a period of reflection, a way of preparing to commemorate Christ's death and celebrate his resurrection.


Some people choose to give something up, while others choose to take something up, the important thing is finding something that has meaning for you. This year Lent begins on Wednesday 14 February, and so we offer a collection of online resources, updated for 2024.



2024 Devotions


Sign up for weekly devotions reflecting on following the theme of hope. Each week of Lent, they will provide a short video and questions and prompts for reflection. Join them to explore our Christian hope, discover how we can transform anxiety into action, and recognise the role we have in bringing hope those around us


CAFOD is the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development. Sign up for their daily prayers and reflections, offering an opportunity to join with a global family to pause, reflect, pray and take action.



Starting New Habits


Prayer tools to help you grow with God, rooted in the Ignatian tradition of spirituality. Here you will find daily meditations, retreats and reflections for different circumstances.


Daily prayer app, with morning and evening prayer available in both written and audio formats.



40 Days...


40acts was a community seeking to do Lent differently. You can pick up any of their challenges from 2011 to 2020, including material written especially for families and young people.


Muddy Church is all about creating space to wonder and wander. Here they have some ideas to get you outside and enjoying the world around you. You can do them in any order, and I'm sure no one would mind if you repeated a favourite!


40 Days of Gratitude

Write down something you are thankful for every day, either in your own journal or shared online to encourage others.


40 Days of Sacrifice

Choose to give something up. It could be the traditional chocolate or alcohol, or maybe a bad habit like biting your nails. At the end of Lent, ask if this might be something you need to give up for good or return to in greater moderation.


40 Days of Generosity

Give something away every day. Perhaps donate a can of food to a food bank or a piece of clothing to a charity shop.


40 Days of Kindness

Do a random act of kindness every day. It can be as simple as going out of your way to help someone, and you'll find some ideas below.


Text on poster reads:   "Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12)   Take up kindness this Lent   Here are forty ways you can be kind to yourself, others and the world   (Lent starts on Wednesday 17 February and ends on Saturday 3 April - Sundays don't count but perhaps you can use them as a chance to choose your own act of kindness)   KIND TO YOURSELF  make sure you drink enough water  compliment yourself  count your blessings  eat something you love  turn off all your screens for an hour  dress fancy just for the fun of it  remember you are "fearfully and wonderfully made"  give up something you don't need  do something to make yourself laugh  take a nap  do the thing you've been putting off  make some art  stop and make a cup of tea  breathe deeply   KIND TO OTHERS  call a friend to say hello  leave a gift for a stranger to find  tell someone why you love them  donate to a food bank  write a thank you note  set aside some donations for a charity shop  say sorry for something you've done wrong  make some biscuits for a neighbour  catch up with someone you haven't spoken to in a while  send someone flowers  pray a blessing on someone you disagree with  teach someone something new  do someone a favour   KIND TO THE WORLD  sign a petition to make a change  use less plastic  collect litter around your neighbourhood  appreciate nature  watch the news and commit to pray for a story  learn about another culture  buy fairtrade  turn down your heating and pull on a jumper  have a vegetarian day  share tips on creation care with a friend  turn an empty jar into something new  leave out food for the birds  plant some seeds

40 Days of Mark




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