In two-and-a-half weeks, on February 18th, churches around the world will gather and observe Ash Wednesday. It’ll be the start of the 2026 Lent season.

The church has observed this holy day and this season for centuries. Like Advent, Lent is a season of preparation. It’s a time where Christians reflect on the sober reality that led the Son of God to come to earth. We don’t just celebrate Easter in a vacuum. We start by remember why Easter was necessary in the first place.

Frederick Buechner explains it this way:

After being baptized by John in the river Jordan, Jesus went off alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves.

Of course, it’s not easy to sit with that question.

Part of the challenge is that we live noisy lives. We’re always on the go and often feel like we’re surviving our days. That’s not a good setting for an honest consideration of who we are and what God created us to be.

We’re also prone to skew the picture. Sometimes we see ourselves as better than we are. Other times we overemphasize our weaknesses and overlook the unique gifts God has given us.

If those struggles feel familiar, we invite you to go through HOLY40 this Lent. Freshly updated for 2026, this program will help you cut through the noise and ask yourself what it means to be yourself.

Throughout the 40 days before Easter, you’ll experience a series of practices. Each week pairs two practices—one fast and one feast—that dive into different elements of your spiritual health. If you commit yourself to this journey, you’ll deepen your connection with Jesus and step further into the abundant life he’s offered you.

If you’re feeling weary and burdened, you don’t have to just grin and bear it. Take advantage of this program. Dive into your faith and your identity in Christ.