As a pastor’s kid, I was acutely aware of the church
calendar...especially as it related to Advent and Lent. (aka: the times of the
year I was going to see my dad the least...) But it’s never left. So, its one of those things I anticipate
still to this day. I’ve been gearing up
for Lent, in some ways, since Christmas.
Lent officially begins today (Ash Wednesday) in protestant
churches and it’s been an extra piece of contemplation for me in the last few
weeks. Much like Advent, is a time of
reflection and preparation and so I’ve been preparing to prepare (the idea of
“preparing to prepare” makes me giggle a little) for a while now. Preparing in the last few years have
including thinking considerably more about the root and purpose of Lent.
With an opinion from just about anybody and everybody...I realized
that sometimes the most important part of learning about something (or someone
for that matter!) includes learning about what it isn’t...
So, what isn’t Lent? Lent
isn’t self mutilation. It’s not about
personal flogging until you are spiritually ready. It isn’t about self
deprivation or abuse. And that gets
confusing...because isn’t self deprivation and abuse the point of a Lenten fast
or sacrifice? Culture certainly says so!
But it’s not. Lent
isn’t a sacrifice.
I had several conversations during Lent last year (and
especially the year before...it’s what got me contemplating to begin with) which
caught me by surprise. Some more than
others...
As a believer, it makes sense that Lent would mean something
to me but most have friends and family members and acquaintances without a
faith to speak of who will declare their Lenten sacrifices. I will undoubtedly
have multiple notifications of facebook status updates reading things like
“won’t be back for 40 days! PM for my number to text or call instead” or “don’t
know what I’ll do with Mt.
Dew
Cultural fasting...interesting but not totally
surprising.
What was
surprising were the multiple convos with believers – including a pastor and
another who talked to their pastor and another who had the message preached
from the pulpit from their pastor...who believed Lenten fasting wasn’t
biblical. Their responses were almost
identical: “It’s misguided! To believe
you could sacrifice for 40 days as a part of sharing in Christ’s sacrifice is
ludicrous! I don’t fast because such a
mindset is to grossly undercut the sacrifice Christ made.”
The basic tenants I don’t disagree with...but it does show a
gross misunderstanding of Lent. We are
told by Paul several times to share in the sufferings of Christ...most often
connected to persecution for the sake of the gospel...but even those he
personally cast aside as being meaningless in light of Jesus. It seems entirely unlikely that Early Church Fathers
would have supported a “40 day trial run” of sharing in Christ’s
suffering. And in fact they didn’t. Why? Because Lent isn’t a sacrifice. Sacrifice, or rather, fasting is a part of
Lent... But it is also not the purpose.
The purpose of lent
isn’t forfeiting things...it’s about spiritual formation.
But, Lent also isn’t about a purge which makes one somehow
holier and therefore “good-enough” for Easter...(which is another thing I’ve
heard about Lent). As if yesterday,
happily known by believer and unbeliever alike as “Fat Tuesday” could empty us
of all of our wrong and forty days of holiness could some how win us God’s
favor. This makes God out to be a
domineering vending machine...Like if we push the right buttons, God’s favor
will be unleashed instead of the gift given out of pure grace. Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died...meaning at the height of humanity’s shortcomings, we
were offered redemption. Forty days is never going to be long enough to repay
or earn salvation...because a lifetime won’t be. It’s the height of the beauty of grace.
So what is lent? Well “Lent” oft refers to “40” in its root in
many languages but literally is an anglo saxon word meaning “spring”. Lent is about life. And furthermore true life that is available
through Christ.
Officially? The “encyclopedia” version would say something
like:
Traditionally, in the protestant church (I make this
distinction because Catholic and Orthodox traditions have some different
practices), Lent is the 40 days - sans Sundays - leading up to Easter. Sundays are left out as each is supposed to represent
a mini Easter and therefore be a day of celebration. The 40 days are symbolic to the 40 days Jesus
spent being tempted in the wilderness before he was made ready for
ministry. In the same way Lent is
supposed to represent our own temptation in a spiritual wilderness, a state of
fasting and simplicity in preparation.
As it has been since the beginning...original Lenten
practices dating back to the time of the Nicean creed so 300’s AD...the overall
purpose is literally spiritual formation.
In that we allow ourselves to be formed by the Spirit for His
purposes. Every part of Lent, including
fasting, is in hopes of taking our attention off of ourselves and our desires
and putting them on Christ. I don’t know
if there is a better verse than Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...the maker and
perfector of our faith”.
Furthermore, while we think of Lent as being a time of
fasting (which we’ve already discussed – it’s not in and of itself)...it is
actually six things: fasting, praying,
almsgiving, thankfulness, service, and scriptural reflection. Fasting, praying, and almsgiving were
considered noncompromiseable in the
early church and the fasts, especially, were very strict.
While I didn’t find any research on it, my guess is that
fasting stuck out as the height of Lenten practices because it is most unlike
the other five and most unlike day to day.
Many see Lenten fasting as an act of penitence...an act of repentance. And in many ways it is.
True fasting isn’t
about what or how the sacrifice is made but what takes its spot. Not forfeit but formation. Fix your eyes on Jesus...
Choosing to fast should not be based on what others decide
or don’t decide to do or their motives behind it. It shouldn’t be a whim, a diet plan, or easy. Me giving up dairy for Lent because I’m
lactose intolerant is like my mother giving up peppermint...because she hates
it and therefore will never have to worry about failing. I think choosing to fast should come with the
fear of failing. Fasting should be hard...in such a way that
it will force us to place dependence in some area of our lives back where it
already belongs – on Christ. The act of
“missing it” will force thought to go to the commitment, force one to think of
Lent, cause one to think of the preparation to acknowledge Christ’s gift to us
and accept that grace fresh and anew day after day after day. Fasting isn’t suffering – it’s finding
ourselves empty and so able to be filled by Christ.
I have been challenged (and would also challenge you) to also
look at the other five tenants of Lent: praying,
almsgiving, thankfulness, service, and scriptural reflection. I think it gives us room and opportunity to
be creative. I once read a quick post which split each of the six into weeks: one
a week for each of the six weeks of Lent.
Maybe this is worth emulating and so finding ways to incorporate them
all little bits at a time. Or perhaps a
couple could be chosen to focus on for forty days. After all, studies show it takes between 21
and 30 days to create a habit. Make Lent
about thankfulness and service (fore example) and it might be enough to make a
life about them...
So make Lent about fasting and finding yourself with palms
up looking to receive what God puts in to empty hands.
Make Lent also about prayer: make time in your days to pray,
incorporate it into the things you do and the thoughts you conjure as you go
about the day.
Make Lent about scripture...be intentional in seeking God
through His word, allow His word to challenge and convict and to comfort and to
guide.
Make Lent about giving...use the unique gifts God has given
you to serve others and therefore to honor him...giving doesn’t always have to
be monetary.
Make Lent about service...think critically about how your
actions value others and follow a Philippians 2 model of humility and service
to make that value known and true.
And make Lent about thanksgiving...thank God for his grace
and his goodness...intentionally seek out and thank someone who has expressed
God’s goodness to you.
(Check out what Jesus has to say about how to go about
practicing these tenants years before Lent would be considered in Matthew 6:1-21...)
And in all...put God first.
Make it about Him and not about you or about what others think. And if you fail or miss a day or
forget...start again. My experience
tells me God’s grace often waits at about the same place I fell. Regardless of what Lent means to you or what
you decide to commit to in Lent...put your treasure somewhere your heart will
follow...
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