The Long Road Begins Again

Lent is the road to Holy Week.

Lent begins this week. It’s arrival always catches me a bit off guard, as if somehow I wasn’t expecting it.

I live in the part of the country that rallies around fish fry Fridays. I had no idea this was a geographic phenomenon. I assumed the whole world knew it was Lent by the long winding line of cars clogging up the Fish Fry restaurants parking lot, pouring out into the busy streets at rush hour. When I was in college I remember being teased by our waiter, another student at our Catholic college, as we gals boldly ordered chicken wings on a Friday evening before we hit the town. All that to say, for most of my life what I knew about Lent was wrapped up in avoiding meat on Fridays. 

I knew Palm Sunday and the powerful days surrounding Easter. These days we call Holy Week that I love so much. But where did Lent fit in?

As I grew in my faith and became more acquainted with Scripture, as I truly began to read and study for my own understanding, I began to see it. Lent is the road that leads to Holy Week. 

Lent is a way for us to move closer to the cross and at the same time it is a practice in staying. Lent is holding the time before Easter in reverence, in giving ourselves space to reflect. Yet with each day of Lent we take a step along the road that leads to Golgotha and with that we hold tension. In a world that is ever faster, ever quick to avoid discomfort, Lent shows us the way to the cross.

I love Holy Week. And now, I love the days of Lent as well. 

Josh and the kids just headed to the maple farm to tap the trees. The arrival of maple season always points me to the first steps of Lent. A sweet beginning.

It is in the tension between the seasons that the maple sap rises. The literal push and pull, the pressure, the changing of temperature from above freezing to below that causes that sweet liquid to come within grasp. Perhaps that is the purpose of Lent as well. 

The sweetness comes from being willing to sit in the tension. Beauty found in our willingness to be shaped by the pressure of the awareness of our need and our lack. As we wrestle with it, push and pull, we move closer to the true celebration of spring and new life.

James Taylor sings, “the sap rises, and the angels sigh.”¹ And I think that’s right.

What is the History of Lent?

The season of Lent within the Church calendar is believed to have been established at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. However the concept of a 40 day fast existed long before that time. The fast, unrelated to Easter, was often used as a way to prepare for baptism. Since the Council of Nicea the period of Lent is connected to the Easter holiday as a means of self-examination and repentance.

Who celebrates Lent?

Many Christians, of varied denominations, participate in the practice of Lent, just as many are returning to the rhythm of the Liturgical Calendar.

What is the purpose of Lent?

Lent is a period of self-reflection, penitence, sorrow over sin. It is a time set aside to humbly reflect on how short we all fall. It is a time of metanoia a changing of the mind and heart. When we take the time to prepare in this way we more fully experience the joy that is Easter.

The season of Lent can be summarized in three words:

Reflect

Confess

Reconsider

What about Lenten fasting?

Fasting as a concept is not unique to Lent. There are mentions of fasting throughout scripture that have served different purposes. Within our current culture, fasting is used as a means of control or redirection. Within the Church it is used as a way to seek communion with God and gain understanding. 

Fasting for Lent is best practiced differently than that. 

Lenten fasting is Responsive Fasting.

We limit ourselves as a RESPONSE to our circumstances, not as a means to change them. During Lent we limit ourselves as a way to sustain our awareness. We limit ourselves to help us dwell in the reality of our need for redemption.

Lenten fasting is not...

a way to justify ourselves.

a way to condemn ourselves.

a means to an end.

Are we mandated to fast?

Biblically, no. Just as we are not mandated to observe Lent, Advent or even Christmas. While these rhythms are good and helpful, the freedom in Christ is not earned or kept by practicing Lent.

What do I give up if I want to practice lenten fasting ?

Remember, nothing is mandated here. Even fish fridays aka no meat on friday is not a mandate.

Go back to the purpose of responsive fasting and consider these questions to help guide you to the answer…

...what am I ignoring or neglecting that is good?

…what, when given up, allows me to think less of myself and more of others?

Each time I approach Lent has been different. This makes sense as it is not a prescriptive thing.

However there are a few things that have been consistent and helpful.

• Quiet

• Reflection

• Reading

Quiet

This is a season to quiet my home. I often listen to more quiet music during Lent-lots of hymns, modern hymns, classical.

I light more candles.

I quiet my soul with far less distractions on screens.

Reflection

I spend more time in my journal. More time asking questions of and about myself than I usually do. There is a sense of penitence about it.

BUT there is a delight in knowing I get to do it this side of resurrection.

Reading

During Lent we often pick particular passages of scripture or books to read as we focus on Reflecting, Confessing and Reconsidering².

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What questions do you have as you consider Lent? Is this a road you have walked before? And how are you feeling as you begin the road again? Would love to hear in the comments below or in chat. As always, ask any questions and let me know how I can help as you delve into this topic whether for the first time or the hundredth.

Blessed Lent to you. May the journey be sweet and may you welcome the tension found on the road to the cross. May you sigh with the angels.

You can read my latest book Life Surrendered: Finding Freedom at the Cross Available wherever books are sold: Amazon | Leafwood

1. the best lyric from James Taylor’s iconic Sweet Baby James

2. You will find at the end of every chapter of Life Surrendered a series of questions using the same Reflecting, Confessing and Reconsidering.