by Ian Mckerracher

By Ian McKerracher

Christianity is distinguished from other religions by its holidays (holy days). But what really differentiates the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” is that our holidays memorialize the saving work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! Many Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are embraced by all branches of the Faith, but today I want to write about Lent, an annual 40-day period of introspection and self-abnegation that until now has mostly been seen as the property of pre-Reformation Christianity.

Which presents a problem. Since the day God brought me out of the world and into His family, I have only ever attended one local church and that church does not observe Lent. Perhaps not surprisingly, neither do I. But to you, my beloved readers, that means I can come at the subject with the joy of having discovered a wonderful, and decidedly Christian practice.

To begin, I did some necessary research. Lent, I discovered, is a period of fasting, praying and almsgiving based on our Lord’s 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. Lent’s purpose is to prepare the believer’s heart for a deeper appreciation of Christ’s suffering and resurrection. The word itself is connected to an old English word by way of Germany. It means “lengthening” and it references the fact that the 40 days of Lent correspond to the lengthening of daylight hours that occurs each Spring. History books suggest Lent began at least as far back as the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. It is observed, predominantly, in the Catholic Church these days, but the more liturgically minded Protestant denominations also observe Lent, and it appears that the popularity of Lent is growing among evangelical churches, although I don’t have any numbers to support this.

Lent takes keen aim at the most important day in the Christian calendar, Easter. Since the heart of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Lent is supposed to be a time of self-reflection in preparation for the anniversary of this enormously important miracle. As mentioned, Christians who observe Lent are supposed to fast for 40 days. But if one gets a calendar and counts the days to check my figures, they will find that there are actually 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. That is because for some reason Sunday’s aren’t counted.

Historically, the Lenten fast began by denying almost all intake of food, with perhaps some thin gruel or soup at the end of the day. Later, that was adjusted to fasting just meat, milk, butter, and eggs. Later, real fasts only took place on Fridays during Lent, leading to the practice of restricting that day’s supper to fish, and creating what today is called “Fish-Fridays.” Nowadays Lent is even less severe. Rather than fasting food, observers can merely deny themselves some pleasure, such as television viewing, drinking alcohol, or using social media.

GIVE TODAY!

While Ash Wednesday is the day that starts the 40-day fast, Shrove Tuesday is the significant day immediately prior. “To shrive” means to “present oneself to a priest for confession, penance, and absolution.” Tuesday before Ash Wednesday has picked up some different names over the centuries. Sometimes it is called “Pancake Tuesday” because, with the fast of eggs and butter beginning the next day, the household would want to use up any portion of those items left in the larder.

For similar reasons Shrove Tuesday is also called “Mardi Gras” (Fat Tuesday), famously celebrated in New Orleans. Unfortunately, Mardi Gras celebrations of the delights of the flesh can begin in mid-January, or even earlier, to “balance” the self-imposed deprivation of the subsequent 40 days. “Carnival,” made famous by the similar celebration in Brazil, also stems from this practice. It is connected to the Latin word “carnem,” meaning meat or flesh, and signifying that all the meat of the house must be eaten by the end of Shrove Tuesday.

As noted, Ash Wednesday is the first day of the actual Lenten fast. When celebrated, worshippers have their foreheads rubbed with ash in the shape of a cross. The ashes are the burnt remains of palm fronds used from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Once the fast is accomplished, observers are then free to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with feasting and great joy.

That, in a rather large nutshell, is what Lent is all about, and as I think about it, I can see how, if done sincerely, its observance can have great value for the believer. Too many evangelical churches fail to encourage introspection as a regular part of the individual Christian’s faith walk, and it may be that celebrating Lent could serve as a reminder of the value of this vital aspect of a healthy spiritual life.

But Christians have the Holy Spirit, some may argue, we don’t need ritual. Oh, so we don’t need to attend church regularly, or read our Bibles daily? We don’t need to set aside times for prayer? It seems to me that if there is justification for any habitual practice in the Christian life (and who would deny that there is?) then perhaps we should take a second look at the benefits of regularly examining ourselves for the purpose of setting aside sinful life patterns, especially if we are doing so in response to our Lord’s sacrifice for sin, combined with his glorious victory over sin and death.

Again, someone may decry Lent as mere human tradition. Okay, but please note that I have said nothing about making Lent obligatory. I only argue that practices like Lent should be available to help Christians grow in their obedience. If a Christian is growing in obedience to Christ by other means, then good for him, or her. But if one is struggling with ingrained sin, then what better way to attack it than by a concentrated period of prayer and fasting? And what better season of the year for such self-examination than the weeks leading up to the annual celebration of Good Friday and Easter?

Observance of Lent should be seen as an option, not a requirement for salvation. But what is not optional for Christians is the need for growth in holiness and obedience, and that will never happen without regular periods of self-examination.

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