40 Days of Transformation

Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter, has traditionally been a time for penance, austerity, and introspection. To this end, practitioners forgo a specific luxury or vice for the duration to atone for their sins and share in their Savior's suffering. Bright Orthodoxy encourages this effort for those who feel called upon to do so, but offers another, possibly complementary approach.

For those six weeks this spring, Bright Orthodoxy’s tenets will guide us through a series of tasks that challenge us to look outward, toward our community, environment, profession, and our observable means to deepen in spirit. Through these tasks, Bright Orthodoxy invites you to action the principles of our religion for transformational change.

Guidelines

We begin on Monday the 3rd, two days before Ash Wednesday, and conclude on the Saturday after Easter. Every week except the first begins on Sunday and each week has its own theme and related objectives. For those who are fasting with us, each participant determines the parameters of their own fasting days. Fasting days increase from week to week, up to five consecutive days before Easter. Tradition strongly suggests all participants adhere to a pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan diet throughout, with the optional inclusion of “bloodless” foods like shellfish. We ask that all participants join us in abstaining fully from tobacco and alcohol. If this poses a barrier to participating, please agree to be safe and engage a moderation or cessation program during these 6 weeks.

Regarding the activities, participants can choose to complete all but should complete some of the provided tasks each week. Many of these tasks require effort in advance, so you should look ahead to arrange for anything you need to be successful at the given time. For example, to attend a community event or religious service, you will need to find one that appeals to you and schedule your other obligations around it.

Your degree of involvement is up to you, but transformational changes do not come easily and this should not feel easy. You might not meet the goals you have set for yourself, that is part of the practice. You will need to seek support and feedback, recover, and move forward. We ask that you do the program in fellowship with other participants by sharing your progress. We ask that in fellowship participants respond to these contributions with encouragement and support (our Advent Fasting group was wonderful in this regard).

And finally, on Easter we will celebrate and bring our endeavor to a close with up to a week of “Afterglow”. At this time we will congratulate ourselves and each other on our achievements, share our joy in returning to abundance, and appreciate any positive changes we’ve affected through our Lenten efforts.

For more information or to participate in our Lenten 40 Days of Transformation, reach us through our Connect page and join the Bright Orthodoxy Facebook Group.

Great Lent week by week

  • March 3-8th

    Week 1— Community

    Tasks:

    -Write and send three short personal letters to people you haven’t spoken to in a while and who have a role in your personal community.

    -Invite people to do something with you until someone says yes. Or, participate in a community group, like a team or book club.

    -Share meals and meal preparation as much as possible, remotely if needed

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout

    -Ash Wednesday personal fast

  • March 9-15th

    Week 2 — Roots

    Make your ancestors proud! Attendees of Bright Orthodoxy’s Camp Meet this summer will have lots of opportunities to show off their bushcrafting skills, but there are options for every setting.

    Tasks:

    -Learn or practice an ancestral skill. You might navigate using a paper map, build a fire with minimal modern aids like lighters and starter logs, identify animals by their tracks, or birds by their songs.

    -Spend a full night outdoors, from sunset to sunrise

    -Abstain from discretionary screen time. Log off after work or school and put your devices away. To prepare you might have a novel by your bed, put a notebook in your bag to journal or create a common book during down moments when you might otherwise pick up your phone, wear a watch to check the time, and schedule phone calls or outings in the evenings.

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout

    -Monday, Wednesday additional personal fast

  • March 16-22nd

    Week 3— Health

    Tasks:

    -Schedule routine and preventative medical care, as much as your finances allow.

    (See Best Health in 2025 for suggestions)

    -Take a brisk 30-60 minute walk daily between 12-1PM for natural light, use SPF if desired.

    -Change your toothbrush (ideally by replacing it with one made of natural materials) and test kitchenware for lead

    -Get trained in CPR/First Aid

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout

    -Monday, Wednesday additional personal fast

  • March 23rd-29th

    Week 4— Habitat

    When selecting and completing these tasks, keep in mind the purpose— healthy toxin-free living. We maintain our space not for public consumption via social media but in the manner that best supports our health and safety. 

    Tasks:

    -Clean out your refrigerator and pantry; install a water filter; sanitize your faucets, water dispenser and cutting boards

    -Sanitize your salt and pepper shakers, remote control, cell phone, keyboards, steering wheel, and doorknobs

    -Launder your bedding, clean your washing machine, wash your furry pets and launder their bedding 

    -Sanitize your bathroom and light switches, get a toothbrush cover

    Bonus tasks:

    -Put an air purifier near your bed, change your furnace filter, clean your vents and ceiling fans, put purifying houseplants in your windowsills (minimally effective but they’re natural and keep us in the right frame of mind)

    -Install 1-2 carbon monoxide detectors in your home, test for radon 

    The 25th of this week Eastern Orthodoxy celebrates the Annunciation of the Theotokos. Theotokos translates to “God-bearer” The Annunciation is a significant feast day that commemorates the pivotal moment when the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ. Lenten fasting is typically relaxed on this feast day our schedule reflects that convention. 

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout with the exception of Tuesday the 25th

    -M, W, F additional personal fast 

  • March 30- April 5th

    Week 5 — Work

    Tasks:

    -Go through your emails carefully, organize them, and respond to them as fully as time permits.

    -Work on your professional speaking with a voice coach (Jenni Steck is amazing)

    -Review job postings, find a few that interest you, and make a list of the skills or experiences that would make you a candidate

    -Send personal letters to 3-4 people who you might want to use as a reference in the future, go to or schedule yourself to attend a networking event

    -Review and refresh your public-facing work persona. 

    -Run a dead-link checker on your professional website, add or diversify keywords in its content, upload high-resolution images for SEO, link back to it from your other accounts or websites

    -Update your LinkedIn and connect with people at companies you might want to apply to

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout

    -M, W, F additional personal fast

  • April 6th-April 12th

    Week 6 — Doctrine

    For the remaining 2 weeks, give something up that impedes or distract you from more meaningful endeavors. (Remove or identify any triggers for your vices, talk about contingency management.) Approach this as an exercise in replacement rather than self-denial.

    Tasks:

    -Read scripture or religious writing from your religion or from one that interests you

    -Attend a religious service, either in person or remotely

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout

    -M, W, F additional personal fast

  • April 13th - 19th

    Week 7 — Spirit

    Tasks:

    -Set aside a time and place for a few minutes a day of something like prayer. If you enjoy the rosary that is great, but if not this might be meditation, a physical practice like tai chi, the Examen in the evening, or unstructured prayer.

    -Honor a departed loved one by visiting and caring for their memorial, telling stories about them, or setting aside time to remember them.

    -Light a candle or votive and meditate on liberation

    -Dye eggs red in anticipation of Easter

    Dietary challenge:

    -Lenten fasting (pescatarianism, vegetarianism or veganism) throughout

    -Tuesday-Saturday full days of personal fast (five consecutive days)

  • April 20-26

    Week 8 — Easter and Afterglow

    Tasks:

    -Reflect on these past 40 days, privately or with the group. Talk about the things in your life that supported you in your efforts, what held you back, and how those barriers might have been removed or averted

    -Celebrate your accomplishments and the accomplishments of others. Seek acknowledgement for your good work, and encourage others in your community to do the same.

    -Identify new possibilities you’ve created for yourself through your efforts, be it employment options or an expanded self-concept.

    Challenge:

    Feast freely but with the knowledge that when we are changed, our sources of joy might shift as well. Embrace this natural progression, and fill this week with passions and activities that resonate with the person you have become.