lent 2010

With today being Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, it struck me as a good time to write a post about Lent and why I think it's a good idea to celebrate it.

To be quite honest, I don't know a whole lot about Lent. I was raised Baptist, and most Baptists I know don't celebrate Lent. We really don't even learn about it at church. I will say that the Baptist church I went to from 8th grade on, Parkway Baptist Church, is one of the few Baptist churches I know that has an Ash Wednesday service and spends a good bit of time talking about the Lenten season. I don't remember what I learned about it, but I know I did.

Here's a definition of Lent from wikipedia:

Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration duringHoly Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This year, I am going to observe Lent. I was spurred on by a post about Lent on one of my favorite blogs, Life in Grace. The whole post is definitely worth reading, but here is one particular quote that moved me:

Lent is time to retreat with Our Father. To confess to Him that we have wandered so far from home and that we have become far too ‘comfortable’ in the pleasures of this life. To confess to Him how utterly dependent we have become on everything, but Him. And He will gladly ‘receive’ us back with open arms: not because we demonstrate to Him our growing discipline and holiness, but for the sake of Christ and Him alone.

After reading Edie's post, I was moved. Moved to do something somewhat different, at least for me. Though I've observed Lent a couple of times in my life, I didn't truly understand why. I think I always did it as an exercise in holiness, or sometimes a way to lose a few pounds while also doing something that seemed religious. This year, I'm going to do it differently. I am going to give up things that are hard to give up. Things that pose big challenges for me when it comes to self-discipline. Things that I will miss. And when I think of those things, I will be reminded of Christ. And because my time is not consumed with those things, I will have free time to read the Bible, pray, and reflect on Christ. Although I'm already missing the comforts I have become so accustomed to, I am hopeful and excited about drawing closer to God.

If you are considering giving up something for Lent, I encourage you to do so. Don't be tempted to think it's too late. I've done that in years past. I figure out it's Lent on Ash Wednesday or even a couple days later, and I think...oh, it's too late. I've already eaten chocolate. I've ruined it. I'll wait until next year. Don't fall into that trap. When is it ever too late to practice self-discipline in the name of reflecting on Christ?

If you decide to observe Lent this season, here are a few "guidelines" from Edie. I think they're fantastic:

1. Lent is a time for penitence and reflection and the practicing of christian discipline. It does not make God ‘more pleased with me’ and is not a ‘good work’. God is pleased with Christ alone and good works are those things which I give in service to my neighbor.

2. If I purpose to ‘give something up’ for Lent and then two weeks later find that I fail and can’t keep my lenten discipline, God is not disappointed in me. God is pleased with Christ and thus pleased with me when I have faith in Christ. I am a sinner who fails and sins constantly. And my failing is not a surprise to God.

3. If I keep my lenten discipline to the ‘tee’, I must be careful not to try and convince myself that I’m ‘more spiritual’ or holy than before. I have been freely clothed with the righteousness of Christ and am only learning to ‘fit’ into clothes that were given me by God.

4. We must also be careful not to view our discipline as ’suffering’ and remember that Christ suffered on the cross for our redemption and we do not get to choose our own suffering (by giving up, say diet pepsi for a month).

5. It is a good exercise to occasionally deprive our bodies….to not give in to every fleshly desire. We are so often slaves to our own bodies and teaching ourselves discipline in any area is often met with resistance.

Aren't those great thoughts? Until I read her post, I don't think I ever thought about the fact that my ability to stick to a goal does not make God more pleased with me, nor is it a good work for the Lord. Oh - and what she says about learning to 'fit' into the clothes of righteousness that have been freely given to me because of Christ? Wow. What a great way to think about my relationship with the Lord. It's quite freeing, if I can just wrap my mind around it. To not have to work for righteousness. But isn't that so counter-intuitive? It is for me. How can I possibly be righteous if I'm not working diligently at it every day? I think that's where Christ is the answer. No matter how hard I work, I am never capable. I am never worthy. I am never righteous. It is through Christ and Christ alone that I am made righteous, holy, and worthy of the Lord's favor. Thank God.

So...here's to practicing some self-discipline for the next 40 days. Will you join me?

*Please know that I am in no way saying that you have to observe Lent to be Godly or to be a Christian. That is totally untrue. I know many a Godly woman (and man) who have never observed Lent in the traditional sense of fasting or self-deprivation. I am simply saying I think it's worth thinking about. It seems like a pertinent way to purposefully set aside time for reflecting on Christ - who He is and what He did to save me. And you.