Too Late for Lent
I have denied myself none of my usual habits for the last two days, so it is doubtful that I will try to make up for it. However, when I came across Anthony’s post (like Shawn I still cannot tell if it is facetious or serious), it made me wonder what people in reformed circles thought about Lent? Apparently, there was controversy last year over an article on our denomination’s online journal. Are any of you observing this ancient tradition of the church? Why or why not?
I was very surprised when I learned that people outside of the Catholic faith actually observed the practice of giving up something during Lent. Growing up (and I was a pastor’s daughter) the only way we ever observed Lent was participating in the 50 Day Spiritual Adventure series (which as a pre-teen rebellious pastor’s kid I mostly ignored anyway). The first time I was aquainted with giving up anything during the Lenten period was when I attended a Catholic school in 8th grade and we lived in a very Catholic town in upstate NY. When I got to Covenant and learned that others, not just Catholics, actually practiced this, I was surprised.
Recently I have been reading Lauren Winner’s book, Mudhouse Sabbath, and she has some really good things to say about fasting and giving “things” up, writing as a Christian who converted from Judaism. Since Ash Wednesday I have been meaning to go back and read that chapter and consider what, if anything, I should give up. But then again, I am always meaning to do something…
I can’t believe Rebecca gave up blogging! That would be a definite challenge for me.
I have done Lent a time or two, it was a powerful experience. I sometimes think that as modern evangelicals we are too quick to discard ancient traditions. In fact, in some circles it seems like “tradition” is a bad word. The ancient church developed many traditions that were rightfully discarded during the Reformation, but there are some that are no longer practiced that are actually pretty cool.
Let’s do prepare ourselves for the Easter event. Let’s do it with focusing daily on the finished work of Jesus Christ, and what it means to live accordingly. And do it even “out of season”! Yes, deny self daily. But don’t tell anybody.
DAM, spoken like a true student of Schaeffer.
I recall pastor Griffith preaching a sermon or two on the benefits of fasting. I also sympathize with Steven’s comment about discarding traditions because they are traditions, rather than evaluating them on their merit. Tradition for tradition’s sake is clearly wrong, but on the other hand the Reformation pendulum sometimes swings too far in the opposite direction. Art in the church is a prime example, where many Protestant churches these days are completely devoid of any aesthetic beauty.
However, what I think I hear you saying (and I totally agree with your sentiments) is that the problem with Lent as a “formal” tradition is that it 1) focuses too much on the external (what the world sees); and 2) is oftentimes taken far too lightly (to the point of being trite)? As Schaeffer says in Chapter 2 of True Spirituatity, “…We must “take up our cross daily.” The principle of saying “no” to self lies at the heart of my attitude toward the world as it maintains its alien stand in rebellion against the Creator.” True spirituality is a lot more than giving up coffee for forty days.
Do you think it is possible to redeem the practice as a pattern for daily living throughout the year–with a focused celebration around Easter–much like with Advent we anticipate the coming of Christ in such a way as to turn our eyes on Him with continual expectation and longing? I think of it as a posture of waiting like in 2 Peter 3:11b-12a, where we are exhorted “to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”
A lot of people say there is a movement in the church back toward tradition, especially among the post-modern set. With that I think there are going to be a lot of questions, so I hope this discussion helps provide the right answers. For example, one of our members might phrase the question like this: “Why do we celebrate Advent with the lighting of candles, but yet we are quick to cry heresy over some ash on the forehead and a little fasting?”
I am currently reading a book, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age. Some sections read like a primer on postmodernism: “Postmoderns may best be reached by returning to pre-modern approaches…Postmoderns are not looking to be entertained; they are seeking to be engaged…many emerging postmodern churches are discovering the value of banners and liturgies that connect them with biblical truth.”
Some key words are “engaged” and “connect”. That is what we should be about, for it speaks of relationship and real communication. We are visual people; we are interactive people. Certainly there was an overreaction to the Catholicism of the 16th century, and rightly so. But that which engages, I think, is generally good. The problem goes with the bestowing of power or grace to the object itself, so that by mere participation you benefit from the experience. The experience always has been, and always will be, a matter of the heart–a spiritual engaging. Not all who receive the “ash Wednesday mark” are engaged with the experience. Personally, I am not sure what that one calls us to. (I think they should wash it off when they go out so as not to call attention to themselves). So, yes, I think there can be use of liturgy and calendar, but there is so much danger, as well. I would love to see banners in the church. Art–true art–should fill our churches to show us the glory of God, to cause us to worship–to engage Christ. Maybe that is too radical for some of the “old school”, but we engage our culture and redeem our culture at the same time. We should be balanced in these areas, not given to extremes of rejection and exclusiveness in what we do.
[...] the Lenten season is upon us once again, I am reminded of last year’s post and what one commenter said about dying to sin daily and out of season. It is a good reminder, [...]