“For this Lent, I am just giving up!” said someone who probably was tired of the debate if Christians should follow or practice Lent. I was raised in an Anglican tradition with Lent being a very important part of our liturgical calendar year. Later I spend many years among Evangelical circles and ended up as a Pastor of a Baptist church with no liturgy or observance of seasons/traditions. Normally people give up something for Lent, but because of all the confusion and theological disagreements around lent many are just giving up lent, just like people give up on New Year’s resolutions.
“Lent” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “Lencten”, which means “spring”. Lent is a forty day observance that occurs each spring between Ash-Wednesday and Easter (excluding Sundays). The word Lent is not found in the Bible and there is almost no evidence of the first century Christians ever practicing it or writing about it. Lenten observance was first mentioned around 200 AD to 225 AD by church fathers like Irenaeus and Tertullian, they were normally observed for a couple of days to a week. At the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, the length of the Lent was extended to forty days, by the middle of the fourth century it became a tradition that started 40 days before Easter.
Lent is a tradition that was inspired by Jesus’ 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness praying and fasting (Mark 1: 12 – 13), preparing himself for the ministry he was going to start after this wilderness experience. Lent initially was introduced to imitate Jesus in the wilderness, but as years passed the church added penance, abstinence, repentance, fasting, almsgiving and personal reflection, all of which are wonderful spiritual disciplines that can help us draw closer to the cross and grow deeper in our spiritual journey. However, when these traditions gradually became mandatory and were almost considered a requirement for a person’s salvation, the spirit of Lent was exchanged from a voluntary spiritual enrichment to a legalistic ritual that is often observed for wrong motives and unspiritual methods.
The Roman Catholic Church emphasizes that the observance of Lent is tied to our salvation, while some mainline protestant churches still observe Lent season they do not associate it to our salvation. We are clearly saved by Grace and by faith alone (Eph 2:8), our practice or observance of lent can help us grow deeper in our spiritual walk, but it cannot affect our salvation. It can assist us in our sanctification but not in our justification. It is only meaningful when it’s voluntary and focused on spiritual renewal, giving up something is not the end in itself, it’s just a means that allows us to focus on our relationship with God.
Christians today are so divided on the observance of Lent that those who observe Lent criticize the others for being too worldly or undisciplined, while those who don’t observe lent criticize the others for being too legalistic and traditional. Either ways both sides are becoming more prideful and judgmental rather than becoming humble and compassionate. Paul says in I Cor 8:9 – “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak”. A couple of Chapters later he says I Cor 10: 31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble”. Our decision to observe or give up anything for Lent should only be a personal choice we make to starve our flesh and nourish our soul, we don’t do it to impress people or gain some special favors from God.
As followers of Christ we are completely free to make our personal choice whether/how we observe Lent or not. We should not use our liberty to prove our theological superiority or condemn those who have a different conviction about Lent. If we choose to observe it, we do it for God’s glory and if we choose not to observe it we are still responsible to find other spiritual ways of daily growing closer to Christ. Spiritual disciplines are not just for Lent season; Lent just gives us a unique season to reflect and re-evaluate our lives in the light of the Cross and Resurrection. Observing Lent is totally optional, but practicing spiritual disciplines is essential for all Christians every day of the year.
Courtney Jacob from Christian Reformed Church writes “Lenten observance – it’s entirely voluntary; what we do during Lent does not save us. Rather what we do gives us the space to mature in our faith as we reflect on the magnitude of God’s gift of salvation. Lent is about creating the space for the individual, and the gathered body of Christ, to set distractions aside and remember the suffering and sacrifice of our Messiah.”
Ruth Haley Barton in her article “Season of returning” writes “There comes a time in the spiritual life when one of the major things God is up to is to lovingly help us see ourselves more clearly. This is a time when we are called to wake up to the darkness within and invite the light of God’s presence to shine there. Just as winter and spring—light and darkness—seem to be fighting for dominance during this season of the earth, Lent is a spiritual season for seeing, naming and confessing our own darkness until eventually it gives way to God’s marvelous light.”
Lent is not a burden or a mandated duty to a follower of Christ, it is an invitation from our heavenly father to withdraw from our worldly engagements and intentionally draw closer to him knowing the power of his death and resurrection (Phil 3:10). It’s an opportunity to search our soul, repent, reflect, and redirect our lives as we give up worldly pleasures and distractions to create space for spiritual renewal. Let us join David in asking God to “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:23 – 24).
Rev. Dr.Francis Burgula
