Lent was an esoteric practice from my perspective as a young boy. I’d see a few schoolmates with black smudges in the shape of a cross on their forehead and wonder why they came to school without washing their faces. What’s the deal with the ashes? What’s the point of abstaining from meat on Fridays? Why are they giving up certain practices every year just as spring is arriving?
From an outside perspective, it appeared they were striving to attain some level of religious status. Perhaps they were trying to gain the approval of a stuffy god? Even worse, maybe they were attempting to impress others with their public piety.
Yet, I wanted ashes on my forehead. I longed to fast and to abstain. I didn’t know why exactly, but the force field of this spiritual discipline slowly drew me in over the course of many years.
The Book of Common Prayer (2019) refers to Lent as a time of penitence, prayer, and fasting, in preparation for the great feast of the resurrection on Easter Sunday. As a youngster, I lived unaware of this heart-rending season of intentionally making room and clearing space for the Lord to reign in my life. I was raised a Christian but Lent was always a foreign practice until I became an Anglican. Having been raised in the Assembly of God, I hadn’t been exposed to historical liturgy.
I became an Anglican a few years ago, and since then I eagerly digested the liturgy and Scripture in a much more disciplined and grateful manner. I recall thinking to myself on my first Sunday at my parish, “Where has this been all my life?!”
The season of Lent provides an opportunity to practice spiritual disciplines that draw the individual closer to God. Life as a Christian, in general, ought to be viewed in the same manner: one continuous spiritual discipline resulting in sanctification in preparation for the wedding feast.
One potential side effect of Lent is that it may also draw you closer to people around you for a variety of purposes. The universal, or catholic, church joins together during this time in anticipation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As individuals within this transcendent family we seek the Lord through some sort of letting go of human cravings. It’s not meant as a time for flagellation or physical discomfort for the sake of punishment. It’s a time to bring the flesh under the subjection of Christ so that one can focus more on Him, to more readily receive His grace.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself also more aware of the needs of people around you. As we draw closer to the Lord, he reveals to us his heart for people. When asked about the greatest commandment, the Lord Jesus Christ replied, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” As we see and experience more of God we will be more attune to the needs of the world.
The traditional forty day fast during Lent was first mentioned in the Canons of Nicaea in 325 A.D. This custom likely originated as a period of preparation of candidates for baptism. The number forty was evidently chosen as a reference to the forty day fasts of Moses, Elijah, and especially our Lord Jesus Christ. Interestingly, Sundays are not observed as fasting days. The practice of starting Lent at Ash Wednesday began in the 7th century, bringing the total days to forty.
Through Lent, our church LifeGroups meet regularly to discuss our appreciation for the season and for the purpose of studying the catechism and Scripture. The group I attend is composed of people from various religious backgrounds and traditions. We have everything from former Baptists to former Roman Catholics.
On a balmy spring evening we met for a discussion of the Apostles’ Creed. Many in our group noted how rote the liturgy of the Anglican/Episcopal/Roman Catholic church had become to them during their childhood. They knew the creeds and liturgy by memory from a young age, but until recently hadn’t truly understood their significance. They lived a large portion of their Christian lives unappreciative of their traditions. Thankfully, they are now living into the gratitude of Lent through God’s grace.
As we, the global church, bring Lent to a close, I’m looking back over my shoulder to consider what the Lord has done for and to me during this time. What is the harvest of the spiritual disciplines that I’ve practiced during this season? How has the Lord prepared me to celebrate and respond to His priceless gift of His Son, our savior Jesus Christ? I invite you to do the same. If you didn’t take on a lenten practice, that’s okay, but I urge you to start next year. Better yet, don’t wait for the next season of Lent to begin a spiritual practice. Start now.
