Observing a Holy Lent 2023
What is Lent all about? For many people, the answer is that Lent is about doing something (or not doing something, as is more often the case) for the 40 days leading from Ash Wednesday to Easter. In this regard, Lent is seen as a season for giving up things like sweets or alcohol, maybe cutting back on a few meals, or perhaps finding time to read the Scriptures more, pray more, or spend more time volunteering in the service of others.
That said, I want to ask a follow up question: Why? Why do we give up things or take things on in Lent? What’s the purpose of doing so? I fear that all too often the answer lies in a sense of duty (“It’s what I’m supposed do during Lent. It’s what’s expected of me.”) and/or a sense that my performance of these tasks will somehow impact my relationship with God. That is, I fear that there’s often a thought (perhaps unconscious) in many people that by doing these things at Lent they’re racking up bonus points with God or they’re getting on God’s good side by their good behavior. But honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. Lent is not about fulfilling a duty toward God nor is it about earning brownie points with God. Thinking of Lent that way turns Lent into nothing more than a season of Law-keeping, which causes us to miss the point of it.
So, what is Lent all about? Well, the Book of Common Prayer lays it out for us in the “Invitation to a Holy Lent” found in the service for Ash Wednesday:
“Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer” (BCP 264-265).
The season of Lent is about remembering. It’s about remembering who we are before our Holy God. It’s about remembering that we are sinful people, people bound fast in original selfishness and self-centeredness (a.k.a. Original Sin). It’s about remembering that we are a people who live constant rebellion against God “in thought, word, and deed,” and, as such, are desperately in need of God’s forgiveness, justification, and salvation. In short, it’s about us remembering that we are people who need the message of Good Friday and Easter, and that that’s the space that we occupy day-in and day-out, 365 days a year.
Now, the way we express this awareness is by taking up a time of “self-examination and repentance; ... prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” Put simply, the things we do, or don’t do, during Lent are all about keeping us in the right frame of mind both about ourselves and about who God is for us in Jesus Christ. This means that the things we give up should be the things that occupy the places of idolatry in our lives. So, a good question to prayerfully ask yourself as you’re preparing for Lent this year is this: “Where are my gods at work? Where do the idols of my heart lie?” When God has given you clarity on that, you’re in a good place to consider something to give up and/or something to take on.
While I’m not going to give you all the answers for what you should or shouldn’t be doing during Lent. I will make some suggestions about how you can approach Lent based what’s laid out in our Prayer Book. You might want to consider doing one of the following:
1) Spend time reading the Bible – If you are not already committed to reading the Bible each day, now is a good time to begin. There are a couple of ways that you could go about this. First, you could pick one book, perhaps one of the four Gospels, and commit to reading a chapter or two each day. After reading, you could take some time to reflect on the passage and use what you’ve just read to direct your prayers. Second, you could use the Lectionary readings prescribed for each day of Lent – an Old Testament lesson, Psalm(s), Epistle, and Gospel. These can be found starting on page 953 in the Book of Common Prayer. They are organized by week and day. When you have finished the readings on one page, you then move to the next odd numbered page, i.e., 955, 957. Reading the Bible with the help of the Lectionary is a great way to read through almost the whole Bible over the course of two years. If you have difficulty navigating the Lectionary and would like some help, Fr. Kyle would be more than happy to assist you.
2) Spend time each day in prayer – A great way to spend time praying during Lent is to use the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer. Both offer the opportunity to “pray” the Bible, as almost everything in each service is merely Scripture recast in prayer form. You might also want to consider joining us for Morning Prayer on Monday through Friday on Facebook Live. These services begin at 9am.
3) Spend time reading Christian writings – There are any number of good, solid Christian books on the market these days, although not all of them are sold in places like Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million. Some recommendations of good, recently published books are:
“Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers” by Dane Ortlund (We have these to give you for free if you don’t already own it.)
“Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today” by John Kleinig 2
c. “Law and Gospel: A Theology for Sinners (and Saints)” by Will McDavid, Ethan Richardson, and David Zahl
“Your God is Too Glorious” by Chad L. Bird.
“Looking Through the Cross” by Graham Tomlin.
4) Participate in the Lenten Teaching Series – This year, we will have a five-week
series titled, “Know the Creeds and Councils” We will meet in Fellowship Hall on the five Sundays of Lent at 5:30pm starting February 26th.
5) Unplug – Perhaps one of the best ways to observe a holy Lent is to disconnect from some, or all, of the electronic distractions (er, um, gods) that we have going on all around us. Instead of spending time surfing the web, showing people what you’re eating on Twitter, or engaging in unhealthy political discourse on Facebook, consider turning off your devices for a while during the day, and spending time reading, praying, or loving and serving your neighbors in some capacity.
6) Take up a fast – I know how it goes. As I noted above, everyone wants to give up chocolate, sweets, or alcohol for Lent. These seem to be the immediate go-tos. But if we’re honest, for many this is done with a slightly selfish bent; that is, to lose a little weight or get healthier for the Spring/Summer. Instead of that though, how about this: try fasting as a discipline of the body and as a reminder that “man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4) and use the fasting time to feast on God’s Word.
7) Use a Lenten Devotional – As in past years, we are once again providing a free Lenten devotional from my alma mater, Trinity School for Ministry. Each day you are provided with a set of readings and some reflections on those readings. This is a good way not only to read God’s Word, but to have some guided reflection on it as well.
In whatever way you decide to proceed ahead with your Lenten disciplines, I pray that God would bless each one of you during this season of Lent and draw you ever deeper into the faith and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember who you are and remember who God is for you in Jesus Christ. God’s peace and blessings be with you all!
Yours in Christ, Kyle+