In order to understand Lent, we have to understand
Easter. In the early Church, Easter was
much more important than Christmas and was the first festival Christians
celebrated. Easter was originally the
day for new Christians to be baptized and in order for baptism to occur a time of preparation was required. Some in the Church advocated a time
of 3 years for preparation. This time of preparation/fasting, whether
3 years or something much less, developed into the time of Lent. A time of preparation before Easter is
mentioned in the earliest documents of the church. Irenaeus, sometime in the
2nd century, wrote a letter discussing the fast before Easter. The 40 day fast was settled by the 4th
century with the whole Church participating alongside those who were preparing
for baptism. It was a time of community-building and solidarity with those who were fasting and preparing for baptism.
Throughout the centuries, tweaks have been made concerning what and how one fasts, but the tradition is very old. Interestingly, the fast is only Monday through Saturday. Every Sunday is essentially a “mini-Easter,” and a fast is not appropriate.
Lent is essentially a time of reflection, specifically a time
of repentance in the life of the believer.
Fasting is a means to deny oneself so that we can better hear the Holy Spirit. Fasting is a very biblical theme, and Lent
provides a time in the life of the church to participate as the Body of Christ in
fasting.
Lent is also a time of prayer. For many, Lent is time when
something like chocolate is given up as a “fast.” I don’t want to downgrade this;
I’ve given up coffee before. But I think
in light of the meaning of Lent, it is more useful to give up something that
consumes some amount of time in our life, to dedicate that to prayer, reflection,
and reading the Scripture. In the Bible,
prayer and fasting go together, so Lent needs to be a time of prayer and being
open to the voice of the Spirit.
Finally, Lent is often a time of service and works for those
in need. Again, this requires us to give
up something, our time, to be obedient to God. I don’t think we can read the
Bible and not recognize that if we aren’t serving the poor, hungry, sick, and
tired, then we aren’t being the Body of Christ.
So, Lent provides a time of renewed
service in the Church, which should already be serving the community year around.
A brief word about Ash Wednesday is needed because this is often
challenged as unbiblical and some seem to say that putting ashes on one’s
forehead is tantamount to the Mark of the Beast. Despite the rhetorical flare,
I don’t think it is helpful to the discussion to accuse our fellow Christian’s
of following the Antichrist. The ashes are a symbol of our repentant heart and a
sign of our own humanity. As the ashes
are placed on the forehead we hear the words of Gen 3:19, “Remember that you
are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
We are reminded that we were created from dust, and owe our very breath
to the God who created us.
Symbols and signs our very important in the life of the
church. They anchor us in the goodness
of God’s creation. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we consume bread and wine;
when we are baptized, we are immersed or sprinkled with water; and when we marry, we place rings
on our fingers. These symbols not only point
to a greater reality, but they are so much a part of that reality that you can’t
have one without the other. (If you have questions about sign in the church let
me know.) In the same way, the ashes at Ash Wednesday are nothing more than a
sign of our repentance and fasting. There is nothing unbiblical about this.
Finally, let me address the words of Jesus from the Sermon
on the Mount, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure
their faces to show others they are fasting.
Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward in full…” (Matt. 6:16-18) I think this is something we
need to think about when it comes to putting ashes on the forehead. My question is, are we only placing the ashes
as a show and to gain recognition? If so
then these words might apply. However, if we do this as a true act of
repentance while still letting our co-workers and friends see that we are a
follower of Jesus Christ, then how can this be bad? What matters is the heart. Also, if you’re like me, I don’t want to walk around with ashes on my
forehead so I always wash it off before I go in public again. Maybe now you will accuse me of being ashamed
of the Gospel.
Regardless, I think Ash Wednesday and Lent can be an
important time of preparation in the life of the believer as we move towards
Easter. I think we must give credence to
the traditions of the Church and recognize that without these traditions, we
don’t even have the New Testament, the Creeds, or the foundation of our doctrine.
I thank God for the saints who have gone before us and have shown us ways to
grow closer to God.
Most of this history is drawn from: http://www.crivoice.org/cylent.html as well as a few of my text books.
As much as I love to hate this blog and don't want to drive traffic here, my wife says this blog makes much more since as a response to this blog. As usual, I'm sure she is right and this is in fact written in response to their blog. So, with regret, here is the link for a "concerned Nazarene:" http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/the-new-face-of-the-church-of-the-nazarene/
Most of this history is drawn from: http://www.crivoice.org/cylent.html as well as a few of my text books.
As much as I love to hate this blog and don't want to drive traffic here, my wife says this blog makes much more since as a response to this blog. As usual, I'm sure she is right and this is in fact written in response to their blog. So, with regret, here is the link for a "concerned Nazarene:" http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/the-new-face-of-the-church-of-the-nazarene/
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