For many Protestant traditions, Lent has historically been underemphasized — a Catholic season, a liturgical formality. But a growing number of pastors across traditions are rediscovering Lent as one of the most potent seasons for personal spiritual formation.

And for ministry leaders specifically, the themes of Lent carry distinct leadership wisdom.

The Discipline of Subtraction

Lenten fasting is an exercise in subtraction — removing something good to create space for something better. For leaders who instinctively operate in addition mode (more programs, more services, more staff, more reach), Lent is a counter-formation.

What would it mean to fast from your most relied-upon leadership tool this Lent? Your phone. Your planning. Your productivity systems. What might you hear in the space that creates?

The Theology of Descent

The Lenten journey moves downward before it moves upward. Jesus, who is God, took on flesh, lived in obscurity, washed feet, and was buried in a borrowed tomb before the resurrection.

This downward movement is deeply countercultural for leaders trained to ascend. But the leader who has not learned to descend — to serve without recognition, to lead without platform, to suffer without publicity — has not yet learned to lead like Jesus.

The Expectation of Resurrection

Lent's darkness is purposeful because it is temporary. The forty days are not an end — they are a path. For leaders navigating ministry winters, Lenten theology offers this anchor: the suffering is real, and so is the resurrection that follows.

A Lenten Practice for Pastors

Choose one Lenten discipline specifically oriented toward your leadership: fast from checking your social media metrics. Fast from solving problems for others — let them sit with difficulty. Fast from speaking first in meetings. Let the discipline reveal something about yourself that the busyness usually obscures.