Lent: Practice

PRACTICE

The Season of Lent is part of a larger church calendar that includes Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Ordinary time. These are celebrations that have been developed over a long period of time originally in the Catholic Church and have flowed into practice in other denominations (Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian). The practices connected to each season mostly find their roots in observing the life of Jesus as it is portrayed in the gospels. Some of the practices and celebrations may also be connected to ancient pagan celebrations that Christians re-appropriated over time. Historically, the Reformed tradition has largely discarded the celebration of a complete church calendar because it binds the conscience to follow rules and rituals from man. Nowhere is the church calendar commanded in Scripture. Calvin and others thought it permissible to recognize the chief evangelical feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost but felt that the focus should always be on the proclamation of the whole gospel for the people of God each Sunday.

"You don't need a special season to do this. But there also is a benefit in setting aside a specific time to focus on these things."

PREPARATION FOR EASTER Again, the Lenten season and its encouragement to take an extended time to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ provides us with an opportunity to honor God as we prepare for Easter Sunday. Now, consider if there might be a better and more beneficial way for you to think about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

When we got the call to move to Midland, we were both elated and in shock. We felt so aware of God's faithfulness to our prayer for a church that was sincere in it's worship, unified in it's fellowship, and committed to prayer. We were blown away by the awesomeness of the church when we visited and Derek interviewed. Our first Sunday with Derek leading worship found us high on the elated train. But, as we started to settle in and develop relationships we found that the church is just as broken as any other. We love our church, but we need to remember that the church of Christ, the bride, is the universal body of believers and not the 4-walled sanctuary. We have a deep love and commitment to our church and the body that is within it, but we have to remember that the church is full of brokenness in and of itself. Having said that, I'm spending this time in Lent remembering our church in prayer, praying over its renewed faith and redemption, praying its doors to open and welcome the lost, praying for biblically based theology, sincere prayer and repentant hearts. Where does Christ come in? Christ is the redeemer of the bride. Christ died for his bride. And Christ's resurrection gives assurance of hope to each believer within the 4-walls and across the nations of a glorious inheritance in the Kingdom of God.

Lent: History and Themes

HISTORY

Lent is one of the liturgical seasons of the church calendar that precedes Easter. The name of this season originates from the Anglo-Saxon lencten meaning "spring." The origins of Lent are controversial. Traditionally it is understood as an intense season of preparation for "Catechumens" (converts under training) who were preparing to be baptized on Easter. By the Council of Nicea, A.D. 325, it officially referred to Lent as "forty days" and made it immediately precede Easter. Sundays are not counted as part of Lent, since Sundays are reserved for celebration. The Season of Lent now officially begins with Ash Wednesday because of the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of Christians. This practice is dated back at least from the late-eleventh century.

THEMES

Lent carries in its tide a number of biblical themes, stories, and structures. Again, Lent was a season that the early church used to prepare catechumens—new converts WHO wished to join the church through baptism, which was typically accomplished at Easter. The catechumens were encouraged during the 40 days to engage in regular times of repentance and confession and to seek reconciliation with those whom they had sinned, and been sinned against—the very spiritual disciplines that every Christian should engage in daily. (Matt. 5:24, 2 Cor. 5:18) Now, you don't need a special season to do this. But there also is a benefit in setting aside a specific time to focus on these things. Throughout the history of the church, many believers have benefitted from using the Lenten season to do just that.  (From Mars Hill)

Continuing on in the history of Lent and in my time of discipline. Today is Sunday and therefore a celebration, the Sabbath. But, when you are in ministry, the Sabbath rarely feels like a celebration. Derek gets paid to go to church on Sunday's! I, however, as the ministry sidekick, do not. Sunday's are my time to support and encourage Derek, to be fed spiritual milk and to try hard to find the time to clean our home. In writing this I realize that I really need to give a Sabbath day to the Lord. So, for the remainder of Lent I'm going to practice the Sabbath, a time of receiving and acknowledging God's blessing in my life and a time of rest. Derek's Sabbath is on Friday's. This is his only day of the week off and his time to study, rest and "date me." Friday's are our favorite day of the week because it's the day when we do our married devotionals. It's also our coffee shop day when we sit back with good coffee and read.

As I walk through Lent this year, I keep getting this idea that IN EVERYTHING, do it ask if Jesus himself, personally, asked you to do it. So, when I'm washing dishes, Jesus asked me to take care of them tonight instead of Derek. When I'm playing with the dogs at work, Jesus asked me to tenderly love them and rehabilitate them. When I'm planning devotionals for my youth girls, Jesus asked me to speak his Gospel over his daughters. When I'm too tired to talk to Derek, Jesus asked me to lovely respond to Derek and to cherish him as Jesus himself does. Today, my prayer over each of you is that in all things you will do it as if unto the Lord. Today, you will feel the call of Jesus to do everything as if he asked you to and you will take JOY in doing it.

Lent: Confusion

CONFUSION ABOUT LENT

There is much confusion in the American Evangelical Church regarding Lent. To be sure, the Bible doesn't require us to recognize seasons like Lent or even Advent. In Romans 14:5, Paul writes that the celebration of holy days is a matter of Christian liberty. Paul continues, "The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord" (Rom. 14:6). Therefore, any recognition of Lent must be done in a way that honors God. As Jesus made clear when he quoted Isaiah to the Pharisees, external actions void of heartengagement are not honoring to God. Well did Isaiah prophecy of you hypocrites, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Therefore, any special attention to the Lenten season that honors God must include heart-level repentance and real faith, not external obedience to church tradition. So the Lenten season and its encouragement to take an extended time to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ provides us with an opportunity to honor God as well as a temptation toward sin. There can be a real value in marking this season, but only if done with a heart that seeks to honor God.

In the book of Isaiah it says, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 64:6. To me, this is why we need heart-level repentance. With real faith and not only external obedience to church tradition we can have joy in what the Psalms proclaim. In the Psalms we read, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1-2 Read the next 3 verses of the Psalm:

When I kept silent, 

my bones wasted away 

through my groaning all day long.

For day and night

you hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was sapped

as in the heat of summer. Selah

Then I acknowledged my sin to you 

and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, "I will confess

my transgressions to the Lord" - 

and you forgave 

the guilt of my sin. Selah

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8 A taste of the Lord is good, but imagine the security and peace of dwelling in him. I'm learning what "to dwell" means. The dictionary defines "dwell" as:

1.to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

2.to live or continue in a given condition or state: to dwell in happiness.

3.to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing (often followed by on or upon ): to dwell on a particular point in an argument.

4.(of a moving tool or machine part) to be motionless for a certain interval during operation.

Now, what does it look like to dwell in the Lord? To be a permanent resident in his presence; to live or continue in the joy of his love, peace and understanding? King David writes in Psalm 27:4, One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...for in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling...

So, my prayer for each of you and myself today is that we would have a heart that would seek to honor God in our worship of him. Not for ourselves, not for our salvation, but to love and adore God because he is God. I pray that as we go through the season of Lent that God would create in us a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within [us]...Restore in [us] the joy of our salvation and grant [us] a willing spirit, to sustain [us] (Psalm 51:10,12).  I pray also that he would teach us to dwell in his presence.

Lent: Ash Wednesday

Lent began Wednesday, February 22, 2012, and ends Thursday, April 5, 2012. Lent is kicked off by Ash Wednesday and will culminate on Easter Sunday. So, what is Lent and why am I writing about it? Lent is a season of repentance, when we confess our sins, spend time in prayer for ourselves and others and fast to develop spiritual discipline that we might be lacking in our lives. This is a time to ponder and wonder at the life, death and resurrection of Christ. I want to share some thoughts on Lent here as I think some of you reading this might not have a background in what Lent is. Here is a quote from our favorite church, Mars Hill, in Seattle:

The Lenten season often provides Christ’s followers with more confusion than clarity. However, there is benefit to thinking about the themes of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in preparation for Easter Sunday.The Lenten season starts today, Ash Wednesday. For many recognizing Lent, that day marks the first day of a 40-day fast from something.

Ash Wednesday: Explanation:

The use of ashes in the observance of Ash Wednesday, to start a season of repentance and faith, is rooted in the ancient biblical practice of severe repentance and contrition. You can read about it in Daniel 9:3 or concerning the city of Nineveh (Jonah 3:6). Ash Wednesday provides an opportunity to remember our mortality and to ask God to "teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (Ps. 90:12). It is also a time to remember Jesus‟ promise in light of our mortality: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). We can, as Jesus encouraged Martha to, then reflect on that promise and answer ourselves, "Do you believe this?" (John 11:26). If we do believe it, as we consider our weakness and mortality and remember our salvation and the promises it holds...

"that our heart should be overwhelmed with a love for Jesus that helps us grow in our distaste for sin."

Last night at our Ash Wednesday service, we placed the ashes on our foreheads to remember that "from ashes we came". After we took communion together and spent time in prayer. As I was sitting there, I asked God how he wanted me to grow this season. Here's what I got: "Anlee, you don't share the Gospel of my son with others. You talk about me nonchalantly, but others around you don't know me and I want you to tell them about me." So, wow! Yep. Major conviction about the lack of sharing. I've been pretty wrapped up in me, Derek, and our emerging lives in Midland that I haven't perused other people, friends or ministry outside of our church. I need some discipline and training in sharing the Gospel. And after sharing some ideas with Derek, we've decided that I'm going to use this blog to share the Gospel with those of you who read it.

"Any special attention to the Lenten season that honors God must include heart-level repentance and real faith, not external obedience to church tradition."

 I know most of you already know Christ, but there is a chance that one of you doesn't or wants to know more. So, I'm going to be writing parts of my testimony and daily devotionals here over the next 40 days excluding Sunday's. This season isn't going to be about the pictures of our life or how we are doing, but how I'm doing spiritually as I seek and learn more about my amazing God! I'm just going to ask for understanding and respect in whatever I write.

Tomorrow I will write about the history of Lent and why the evangelical church celebrates/participates in the Lenten season.

Hey guys,

Just a couple of things...

It's snowing here in West Texas today...and tomorrow's high is 69...another example of crazy and unpredictable climate change. Or maybe we don't have a TV and never check the weather so we aren't prepared.

We leave bright and early tomorrow morning for Georgia! We are really excited to spend the next few days with the good ole' Georgia clan and friends. We hope to sit on the couch and spend time with the fam, meet the newest nephew, see as many friends as we can, make an IKEA run and eat GEORGIA MEXICAN FOOD! That is a blog story for another day!

Traveling for another Valentine's Day!