Lent For Protestants

2010 February 19

by Tyler

Lent has traditionally been focused on by Roman Catholics. But there is change occurring, as more Protestants are welcoming these traditions to become a part of their faith journey.

I have never participated in Ash Wednesday or Lent. I didn’t grow up doing so and haven’t felt a push from the Holy Spirit to begin doing so since then either.

It was funny to see what everyone was giving up for 40 days on Twitter and Facebook this week. The only thing I’m giving up, is giving up. This isn’t to say I’m being critical of those who are participating in Lent. The only danger I see in it is using the giving up of something to prove our spirituality to others.

But this trend for Protestant believers to embrace an ancient and mostly Catholic traditions intrigues me. I read a number of great blog posts on the topic this week that I thought I’d share with you (emphasis added is mine).

Julie Clawson said (full post here):

Lent isn’t about denial; it is about transformation. It is the season in which we prepare to encounter Christ’s sacrifice by endeavoring to become more Christ like ourselves. Transformation is about letting ourselves be filled with God’s presence so that we can be shaped by God’s grace. Our acts of kenosis — denying ourselves in order to empty ourselves enough to allow God to fill us — are means to an end. They are disciplines that prepare us to be transformed. We deny ourselves so that we can be reborn as new creations — to live more fully as the kingdom citizens God desires us to be.

Josh Miles said (full post here):

The season of Lent is about death, and ultimately new life. You see, we cannot raise things from the dead. Only God can. But, as long as we just put off certain behaviors and tendencies we can revive them at a later date. These things need to die, and that can only happen if we ourselves die to them.

Skye Jethani said (full post here):

The symbol of ashes on the forehead is a powerful reminder of our human weakness-both moral and physical. We are creatures of sin, prone to selfishness, greed, and all kinds of injustice. And the ash reminds us of our ultimate fate; we all live under the shadow of death and we cannot escape the grave.

Are you participating in the season of Lent?

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Natalie

I have participated in Lent in the past. Not something that was forced upon me, being that I’m Lutheran although we do celebrate the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday and all. I have always looking at giving up something during Lent as a good form of spiritual discipline. I gave up soda and coffee one year and everytime I thought about having soda or coffee, I thought about Jesus and his 40 days alone with Satan. If he could do that, the least I could do was not have coffee. All of a sudden it became very easy to not have soda or coffee.

I never thought of it as something to prove to anyone, but more to make me realize, on a somewhat daily basis, the many sacrifices Jesus made.
http://thoughtsaboutnothing.com Kyle Reed

Nope, thought about it, but I missed it Wednesday so I am not. Thought about doing the water for 40 days, but decided that I would not be doing it for the right reasons.
http://www.contentunderpressure.net Josh

Once my eyes were opened to the fact that the season of Lent was about participating in Christ’s death, and ultimately celebrating in his resurrection, my heart towards Lent changed. I long viewed it as a time to make resolutions if one missed out in January.

I’ve never experienced more joy in thinking of Christ’s resurrection than I have when sharing in his death.

I wasn’t able to get to an Ash Wednesday service this year, as I worked a crazy shift. But, the externals aren’t the most important to me. It has to be the heart.

I appreciate your thoughts, man. I first experienced what Lent was about three years ago, so it’s very new for me as well. I’m also intrigued by the non-Catholic interest in Lent.
http://theycallmepastorbryan.com theycallmepastorbryan

Hmm, I’m not sure that Lent is really all that new to Protestants Tyler. I believe more liturgical mainline type churches, who maintain the church calendar, have had it at least in some form.

But it certainly is making a lot of ground in evangelical circles, and I think it’s a good thing. Sure, it can be about trying to prove your spirituality or whatever, but when you really get that it’s about reflecting on Christ’s suffering, I think it’s worth it. And let’s face it, as Americans the fasting mentality is not one which is normal, I will embrace any Christian tradition that helps us reflect on our self-indulgence and how we use our ability as consumers to soothe the things in our life that we should be turning to God for.

I stumbled across Lent in college, while hanging out with the Presbyterians, and it’s led me into a journey of being more and more in tune with the Christian calendar and seeing the wisdom in how the church has traditionally arranged time.
http://www.manofdepravity.com Tyler

True, practicing Lent isn’t exclusively a Catholic tradition, but it has been pretty uncommon for Protestants to do so in the past.
http://www.ricianne.com patricia

i grew up catholic but never participated in the tradition of lent till last year. i dont get ashed tho…

i was already in the middle of an extended fast before lent came… and during this time of fasting… i realized that aside from giving up food (or giving up anything i do externally)…i had to make a conscious effort to give up bad habits. and one of my worst habits has to do with my mouth.

this lenten season i am giving up speaking negatively / speaking anything not according to His word & being sarcastic. it HURTS me to do this…more than not eating. coz i have to make such an effort to control my tongue, especially when driving, when someone annoys me and during basketball games! LOL!!

my post: http://bit.ly/a1HoYm
http://brenthodge.com brent(inWorship)

I wouldn’t say it has been uncommon for protestants to practice in the past, but definitely protestant churches have not rallied around this event.

I grew up Conservative Baptist and we had lots of people in our church that practiced lent and even our church had an Ash Wednesday service. And that was a while ago

When any tradition becomes about what we can do, it loses it’s spiritual intent and becomes about self. If Lent is practiced without heart, its just ritual.

I love the opportunity to be challenged this time of year to refocus. I think that is good. Celebrating Lent is not the point in my opinion, but using this season to refocus is. Lent can be a great catalyst, or it can just be a useless ritual.
http://www.sarahsalter.com Sarah Salter

Great post, Tyler! Those are insightful quotes and I’m bookmarking this page so I can go back and read those full posts when I get a bit of time.

Yes, I am participating in Lent this year. I was raised Methodist and we did practice it, though maybe not as stringently as the Catholics do. But as an adult, I am in a denomination that does NOT practice Lent. However, I feel compelled to this year.

Thanks again, Tyler!
http://jessicadickson.blogspot.com/ Jessica Denise

I am one who really appreciates rituals of more liturgical backgrounds. This isn’t from the Bible, but God gives rituals to His people so that we remember Him and to draw our hearts to Him. So I am using this special time to gather in my own way, with others around the world and draw closer to the Lord. We all may give different things up, but the endpoint is the same. I really appreciate that.
http://www.shrm.ca/blog Michelle Porter

The Bible clearly states, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” I have participated in Lent for many, many years, but have now left it behind, not because lent is a sin, but because it isn’t the best display of my faith. The outworking of my faith is not in tradition or ritualism, but in the practical, day to day living in His Spirit. Christ calls us to do much bolder things: public baptism, private giving and fasting, and helping the poor. If you haven’t served at your local soup kitchen all year, what do you suppose Jesus Christ will make of your giving up facebook for 40 days? I dare say it would be akin to Cains sacrifice. (See Genesis 4:3-5.)
http://ash-nits.blogspot.com ash

my thoughts on lent: a way in which an enormous body of believers can fast together in unity, and even if they do so, by way of “Catholic designation,” there can be great fruit to come w/ that.

i have not participated in lent, but i’m appreciative of the practice- it is public way of saying that fasting is beautiful- depriving oneself of one thing to become the utmost being for which we are created.

again, it is a choice, and for some/many catholics, it is a annual renewal, which we all need in some capacity.
http://www.ubervu.com/conversations/manofdepravity.com/2010/02/19/lent-for-protestants/ uberVU – social comments

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James

I question the comments that say that fasting for penitential purposes, as well as for preparation: See Jonah: 3:4 (they even used ashes). Also, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert preparing for his public ministry, that, in turn, reflecting the 40 years spent in penitence and preparation of the Hebrews after they left Egypt and before they entered the promised land. Jesus himself said, “the time will come for fasting.” I could give you more than twenty Biblical references to fasting and its efficacy. So the word “Lent” isn’t used. Neither is the word “Trinity.”