Beginning Wednesday, February 17, I will embark on another forty-day journey seeking Christ and setting aside, voluntarily, some activities that I will use as a reminder to myself that I am abiding in him. Literally millions of Christians (and non-believers who will do this out of rote religiosity) will be celebrating Lent during these forty days (excluding Sundays) until Easter. I will join them. Some of you may choose to do so as well.
Allow me to share with you some brief advice concerning any intentional practice of seeking a closer, more intimate relationship with God, whether it is during Lent, Advent, retreats of silence, prayer vigils, fasting, or any other period of time you choose to set aside for intentionally seeking the Lord.
First - Be careful! It is well documented in the annals of Christian history how quickly a voluntary practice can become a law for believers. The Bible does not command us to celebrate specific holy days or practices to increase our righteousness. However, it does invite us to willingly set aside good things that are lawful for us in order to focus on our relationship with Christ (Matt. 6:16-17; 9:15; Acts 18:18; 21:26; Rom. 14:5-12). Fasting, for example, is a godly practice, but practicing it does not mean that enjoying good food is inherently evil. When fasting becomes a law for us, or a means by which we extract God's blessings from him as a payment for our good deeds, it has become deadly for us, not a life-producing and God-exalting act of worship. This is true for all voluntary practices with a design toward drawing closer to the Lord.
Second - Enjoy the intentional time that you have set aside to abide in Christ. If praying through a night is a burden to you and only makes you grumpy, angry, or self-righteous, do not do it. However, if setting aside a specific time for prayer or taking a day to spend alone in a retreat of silence helps you as you learn to love and cherish Christ more, than do so with joy and make the most of that time. Joy should be our motivation, not obligation. However, that joy may be accompanied by self-sacrifice and periods of self-denial. True Christian joy does not demand that we be full and satisfied.
Third – Do not pass judgment on others if they choose not to make use of the church calendar, nor allow yourself to be unfairly judged by others if you do. I fully realize that there are some Protestants who cringe at the fact that I choose to celebrate church calendar events like Advent and Lent and appeal to them as a means by which we can intentionally draw closer to Christ. I can live with that and agree to disagree with these brothers and sisters in Christ. In reality, virtually all of us recognize annual calendar markers in our lives (birthdays, semesters, New Year’s, fall/spring break, Christmas, Easter, etc.). We choose to celebrate those life-markers, holidays, and “holy days” that are meaningful for us, and to ignore those that are not. I believe the Scriptures teach us that we are free to approach life in this manner (Romans 14:1-19).
Finally – If you set aside these forty-days, prepare yourself for the celebration of Resurrection Sunday. In the ancient church, great feasts followed all great fasts. The fasting prepared the participant for the feast to come. We do not “discipline our bodies,” as the apostle Paul said, for no reason. We do so in order to “obtain the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Lenten practices prepare us for Easter celebrations.
On Ash Wednesday, I will set aside time to ask God to use these brief forty-days to reveal himself to me in such a way that I am a stronger, more vibrant Christ-follower at the end of Lent than I was at the beginning. If you are also focusing on a similar desire in your life during this season, my prayer is that God will do the very same for you.
I have written a devotional to accompany these days for those who are interested. It will be available at the information desk on Sunday, February 14.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym