A Journey of Joy
Lent is an excellent opportunity for Spiritual Formation
Forty Days on Purpose
The observance of Lent may not be a part of your present or past tradition but I have found great grace as a Christian and a church leader in observing this ancient practice of the church. The Christian observance of a prolonged season of concentrated prayer and fasting culminating on Easter Sunday goes back to the very earliest days of the church; the first written record dates from the second century. The word “Lent” was a later development and is derived from the word lenc’ten, which is the Anglo-Saxon word for spring, the time of year when the days begin to lengthen. The Lenten season is 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter. As a pastor I have found that 40 days is an ideal window of time for congregational focus. It is long enough to really concentrate on a theme (think 40 Days of Purpose, etc); but not so long that people will struggle to retain interest.
A Time to think
A major theme of Lent is repentance. The New Testament word for repentance is a compound word which literally means to think something thoroughly or completely through, and (by implication) to act upon it. Lent is a prolonged season of intentional self-examination which is good for the soul.
The fruit of the Spirit is Self-Control
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”. Luke 9:23 Christians traditionally embrace the discipline of fasting and self denial during Lent. We do not do this legalistically or as a way to earn "points" with God but as discipleship training. As Christian author Wesley Duewel says, “Fasting does not imply that daily duties and life’s necessities are unholy or unspiritual; rather, we subject permissible things, even profitable things, to greater spiritual priorities.” * For a Christian, the practice of intentional self-denial is a way to practice of saying "no" to ourselves. If we are unaccustomed to denying ourselves in small things we run a higher risk of being unprepared or incapable of denying ourselves in bigger things. Self-control is like a muscle which has to be exercised; if we never use it, we will be soft and weak!
A Journey of Joy
We should never think of Lent only in terms of negation, or of what we do not do. Forgiveness, mercy, good deeds and charitable giving are also emphasized during Lent. The idea of Lent as time of grim austerity or joyless asceticism is a caricature and a distortion. A pastor I know in the Middle-East wrote these words to his congregation last year at the beginning of Lent:
Fasting, abstinence, frugality, restriction of personal desires, intense prayer, confession, and similar disciplines should not be considered burdensome obligations or unbearable duties that result in despondency or dejection. Lent … is a time of immense rejoicing and gladness. A genuine feast and exhilaration! Lent instructs us to journey daily with a little less, without the arrogance of extravagance, waste and display. It encourages us to surrender all forms of greed and ignore the challenges of commercial advertising, which constantly promotes new and false necessities. It incites us to limit ourselves to what is absolutely essential and necessary in an attitude of dignified, deliberate simplicity. We are not to be a consuming or compulsive herd of thoughtless and heartless individuals, but a society of sensitive and caring persons, sharing with and supporting our “neighbor” that is in poverty or recession. Finally, Lent informs us about patience and tolerance in moments of smaller or larger deprivation, while simultaneously emphasizing the need to seek God’s assistance and mercy, placing our complete trust in His affectionate providence. That is how the Saints lived Lent. That is how the Church Fathers undertook the grace of Lent. That is how our faith has traditionally understood Lent.
Lent’s Lesser-Known Theme
Baptism is a lesser known emphasis of the Lenten season. In the early church, new Christians were trained or catechized during Lent, and mass baptisms occurred on Easter Sunday. In my last church, we adapted this custom and performed baptisms on Palm Sunday. All through Lent we invited people to baptism. It quickly became a big deal and in the course of a few years we literally baptized hundreds of people. Using Lent strategically as a time of training and preparation leading to baptism can add a whole new level of meaning and excitement to the whole Easter experience.
A Journey to Joy
As I write this we are now half-way through Lent, but there is still time to get in on the blessing. For the next few weeks, I invite you to join me and a host of other sinners saved by grace on a Journey to Joy and transformation during this special season of prayer, repentance and seeking the face of God.
*Wesley Duewel,“Mighty Prevailing Prayer” , Zondervan; 1st edition 1990
