Practicing a Holy Lent: Seven Ways Jesus Shapes Our Lives

Self-examination. Repentance. Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. Reading and Meditating on God's Holy Word. Worship.

On Ash Wednesday, the Church names these practices as ways to observe the holy season of Lent--as pathways that shape us into faithful disciples of Christ.

We start with the divine model, exploring how Jesus embodied each of these ancient disciplines. Then, throughout each week, we examine the discipline through different lenses: personal stories, wisdom from the Book of Common Prayer, examples from the saints, and practical invitations for daily living.

Whether you are new to Lenten practices or returning to them again this season, Practicing a Holy Lent invites you to walk with Jesus and allow his life to shape your own.

About the Authors:

Lindsay Barrett-Adler serves as Forward Movement's Director of Development, leading all the organization's fundraising efforts and responding to resource requests from friends in need. Before joining Forward Movement in 2021, Lindsay spent ten years as a fundraiser at nonprofits, churches, and schools in Philadelphia. She holds degrees from Capital University and Princeton Theological Seminary. Lindsay and her husband, Paul Adler, an Episcopal priest, have three children and live outside of Chicago. She is a Philadelphia Eagles, pickleball, and mahjong enthusiast.

Margaret Ellsworth grew up in an Episcopal clergy household and has been a faithful reader of Forward Day by Day from an early age. Today, she serves as Content Marketing Manager at Forward Movement, which means she gets to share her favorite prayer resources with fellow disciples each day. Margaret is a writer and musician with an MA in worship and the arts from Claremont School of Theology. She spent a decade working in library marketing and higher education before joining the Forward Movement team. Margaret lives in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and two children. When not at work, you'll find her biking along the Boise River, drinking loose-leaf tea, and reading good stories.

Scott Gunn is executive director of Forward Movement. He travels widely as a preacher, speaker, and retreat leader. On Sundays that he is not traveling, he serves as a priest associate at Christ Church in Glendale, Ohio. Author of several books, he most recently wrote Easter Triumph, Easter Joy: Meditations for the Fifty Days of Eastertide. Prior to serving at Forward Movement, Scott was a parish priest in the Diocese of Rhode Island. Before that, he had a career in information technology. Scott was educated at Yale Divinity School, Brown University, and Luther College. He lives in Cincinnati with his spouse, the Rev. Sherilyn Pearce, and their two rescued Golden Retrievers, Henry and Evie.

Robert Hendrickson is based in Tucson, Arizona. In 2025, he concluded nearly a decade as rector of St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church, where he led the largest congregation in the Diocese of Arizona with a strong focus on discipleship and spiritual renewal. A graduate of the General Theological Seminary, Robert was ordained in 2011 and previously served as sub-dean at St. John's Cathedral in Denver and as a curate at Christ Church, New Haven. He now serves the wider church as Chief of Discipleship Initiatives at Forward Movement, equipping congregations for deeper faith and mission. He is also the author of Yearning: Authentic Transformation, Young Adults, and the Church, and is known for his commitment to helping Christians live the Gospel with clarity and courage. He is a co-founder of the Society of Catholic Priests in North America, was the communications director for Brooks Brothers a good while ago, and has attended the University of Mississippi, Cornell, and Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Kristin LeMay finally found her long-lost church home in the Episcopal Church in her twenties, and she has since been gifted to find her vocation there, too. Across twenty-five years, she has worked as an editor, communicator, and graphic designer: for The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, the Presiding Bishop's Office, and Faith-filled Families at VTS, among others, creating resources for formation and evangelism. Recent highlights include making The BIG Way of Love for Kids discipleship resource, designing for the It's All About Love Festival for the Jesus Movement, and working on the core team of the Love. Always. Revival at the 2024 General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. (The Spirit is still moving!). She serves on the board of the Procter Center, an Episcopal Camp & Conference Center, and has worked on the Forma design team. Today, she is delighted to have found a home on the staff at Forward Movement, where she works as an editor and content developer. A graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and Harvard Divinity School, Kristin has published two books on Emily Dickinson and translated the work of biblical scholar François Bovon. She has taught courses at Harvard University, Ohio University, and Bexley Seabury Seminary. She lives with her son, Roland, in the Appalachian foothills of Athens, Ohio.

Kelli Martin is a book editor and lay leader in the Episcopal Church. Jesus and books are loves of her life. A parishioner at Epiphany Parish in Seattle, Kelli has served in various ministries: on the vestry, as senior warden for two consecutive years, as a lay preacher, Evensong presider, lay eucharistic minister, on the pastoral care team, and as an alternate delegate to diocesan convention in the Diocese of Olympia. In the broader Episcopal Church, Kelli serves on the board of Forward Movement, is a member of the Episcopal Parish Network Planning Committee, and consults at Saison Consulting. She is a graduate of Williams College and serves on the Board of Directors of Seattle Arts & Lectures. Kelli has served as a book editor for more than twenty