SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS ON THE SEASON OF LENT

Why Lent?

Hmmm. Answering that question might take me through every one of my pet peeves. This could be a really long post, but I need to resist, to refrain, to exercise some self-control. It is Lent, after all.

So I thought I would outline a very brief apology by introducing the season to those friends and family who might be wondering about us…more than usual, I mean…because of the black smudges of ash on our head.

Please keep in mind that the following points are not meant to be exhaustive, nor even adequate, really. For the most part they are simply statements without argumentation. Perhaps the statement will be sufficient.

We’ll start as broadly as possible:

1. Every society forms its members by having them share in the common ritual of its tradition.

Far from being mere “icing on the cake,” ritual is unavoidable and necessary to the existence of a people. Think of those things that surround/define being an American. The attempt to be “ritual free” is itself an expressive and symbolic ritual.

2. Societies memorialize those events and people that are the most important to the societies' identity by dedicating a calendar day to them.

Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, President’s day, Martin Luther King Day, etc. A people’s calendar reveals their values.

3. The Christian Church is the City of King Jesus.

Though living in the midst of other nations, the church exists as a colony of its own motherland. (WARNING-UNAVOIDABLE DIGRESSION ON FAVORITE PET PEEVE: This does not mean that we will one day escape our current home. For example: The citizens of ancient Philippi were Roman citizens. Many of them were transplants from Rome, itself. Being Roman in the midst of a Grecian countryside did not mean that everyone would one day move back to Rome. Rather, it meant that they would maintain their identity with and allegiance to the home land. They were Romans who just happened to be living in Greece. In times of trouble, they would look to the sea, not as a means of escape “homeward”, but to await the arrival of their Emperor who would come to defend them.)

4. The Christian Calendar celebrates the life of our King and contributes to the formation of his people into a people.

5. The Christian church is the body of Christ.

This is the meaning of our Baptisms. We are united to him. His life is our life. His death, our death.

6. The Christian should follow the life of Christ in a concrete, regular and meditative way.

For those who make use of this cycle, Christ’s life becomes our life, yearly. Most Christians still celebrate Christmas and Easter, while arbitrarily ignoring His Baptism, Ascension or Transfiguration. Oddly, they will manage to work in American holidays like Mother’s Day or Veteran’s day, but have no regard for Pentecost. What does this say about their most basic identity?

7. God sanctions seasons of thankful Feasting.

Creation was meant to be flooded with the glory of God. Just like the pointing finger, it was meant to direct us to the Creator. Embracing it in celebration was meant to be an embrace of him whose glory it revealed. But...

8. God calls humanity to seasons of meditative abstaining and fasting.

Creation must never be confused with God. The refracted glory of God, coming to us through his creatures, can easily lead people to confuse the image for the real thing. It is good for us to renounce the good on occasion, so that we can recall this important truth.

9. The Christian life is one of Community.

We are the people of the Triune God. God’s life is communal. Salvation into that life is communal, too. (See 3, 4, & 5 above) We are meant to help each other in living out who we are declared to be at and through our baptisms. Therefore it is beneficial to feast, fast and meditate together as a people.

10. The uniqueness of special times is augmented by a period of preparation.

Liturgically and experientially, we begin to long for Easter Sunday through the austere liturgical practices of Lent.

11. If we are to follow the example of Christ and his servants, it is necessary to… follow their examples.

The heroes of Scripture fasted and abstained during intense periods of seeking after God. We ought to do the same. Christ himself fasted for 40 days in the wilderness. Lent is the church’s commemoration of this time in Christ’s life and an appropriate time to consider the spiritual disciplines of abstinence and negation.

12. A regular check-up, or to switch the metaphor- a regular tune up is necessary for healthy Christian growth.

To switch the metaphor yet again, just as an annual spring cleaning allows a household to start fresh and new, Lent encourages a person to search through the corners of their lives for those cobwebs and dust bunnies that may have been overlooked. Individuals who are likely to go to the trouble of spring cleaning aren’t likely to forgo regular and thorough cleanings throughout the year. A weekly mopping doesn’t cancel out the need for Spring Cleaning and vice versa.

13. Fasting or abstaining from normal pleasures reveals the depths of our depravity and the weakness of our flesh.

It’s amazing how irritable we can become when we grow slightly hungry. Skip a meal or two and you’ll see. We are spoiled and soft, and we don’t know it. Feel in control? Try giving up T.V. for 40 days.

14. Christ’s resurrection required his death on the cross; his crucifixion was a result of our sin and estrangement.

Lent is about Easter. We cannot understand God’s work of mercy and redemption without understanding our own sin, misery and corruption. Spiritually, Lent prepares us for a true celebration of resurrection by enabling us to understand our great need. This awareness of our sins is going somewhere…we’re heading towards the cross of Good Friday and from there to Resurrection Sunday.

15. Those who oppose the observance of Lent likely disagree with one of the points above.

We observe Lent because the lessons of our Lord’s temptations are important to us, but so easy to forget. We observe the season of Lent because that is simply what his people do and we are zealous to belong; we observe the season of Lent because those who have gone before us give testimony to its importance, because we know that we do not know how much we need a savior- how far short we fall, even today. We observe the season of Lent because we love Easter and are committed to marking the renewal of creation in as grand a way as possible. We observe the season of Lent because the glorious blessings and God-given tastes of this life can confuse and disorient us to their true meaning- God’s love made tangible. We observe the season of Lent because there are needful things that require our attention- things important, but lacking urgency. If not at Lent, when will we attend to them?

ADDITION 2/23/2007

Good stuff:

Fr. Will Brown on keeping a holy Lent - Part 1 - Theory, Part 2 - Practice [HT: Jason]