The Center for Christianity Culture and the Arts aims to gain international attention again with The Lent Project, Biola’s first Lent-themed devotional.

Falling on Mar. 5, Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent and the beginning of the 54-day Lent Project, which includes Holy Week and Bright Week, the seven days after Easter.

CCCA created the devotional after last year’s successful Advent Project, which received over 52,000 views internationally, said Brett McCracken, social media manager and university writer.

“We think it will be a really great way for people to enter into the season by experiencing some beautiful art, some devotionals and Scripture,” he said.

Each day will include music, art and biblical passages that will aid participants in contemplating the Easter season. McCracken added that participating in the Lent Project has substantive traditional importance.

“There’s real value in being plugged into the Christian calendar. It connects you to generations of Christians who have lived centuries before us,” McCracken said, adding that he believes this project will help students take a breather from their busy schedules.

Diverse view of Lent

Some students are unsure about what Lent is, while others associate it only with Catholicism. Candice Loberg, a junior sociology major, never observed it growing up because she thought it was solely a Roman Catholic tradition.

Others who did not celebrate Lent in their families have adopted it since coming to Biola. Over the past three years at Biola, junior film major Matthew Sugg has taken a new perspective on Lent.

“It gives a time to step back and realize what’s really important and what’s not,” he said.

Freshman piano performance major Rachel Brady will observe Lent for the first time this year. She recently became interested in church traditions after observing Advent last year and attending a church that observes the traditional liturgical year.

Lent through a traditional lens

A better understanding of the Lenten tradition would help students view it as more than a fasting period, said Greg Peters, associate Torrey Honors Institute professor and Anglican reverend. 

“Lent isn’t just about giving something up, but instead … how we can identify with the suffering of Christ,” Peters said.

Besides giving something up, the Lenten tradition is to take on a spiritual discipline in exchange, Peters said. 

The evangelical church could benefit from recovering the liturgical church calendar and Biola students could play a role in that transition, since they are the future leaders in the church, Peters said.

As a contributor to the Lent Project, Peters said he appreciates the diversity of the daily devotional.

“What’s beautiful about the Lent Project is that it’s not just biblical text … but also works of art and music that are appropriate to the season, as well,” Peters said.

The project can be a good starting point for students to aim for the readoption of the liturgical tradition, according to Peters.

“It’s a resource. So that’s a good start, but the best is when students make use of that resource,” he said.