Lent

So by now, Christmas has already disappeared on the horizon behind us, and we are fast approaching the Resurrection celebration of Easter. But before celebration, there is preparation. Before consummation, there is anticipation. Before spring, there is winter. Before Easter, there is Lent.

I don't come from a liturgical church background, and I am admittedly not well-versed in the historical season of Lent. And I don't want to just be an evangelical wanna-be looking over the denominational fence thinking, "Man, I wish we had traditions like that."

Life comes from Jesus, not from any religious practice or tradition.

So, what's lent again? It is the season of the Christian calendar that covers the 40 days leading up to Easter (not counting Sundays), in remembrance of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. It is a time of prayer of penitance, of repentance and reflection, of fasting and faith. It is a time to stop. It is a time to set some things aside that others may come into focus. And people often "fast" something they enjoy during this period of time.

Now, as followers of Jesus, we are certainly not bound to form and ritual for our relationship with God. Even Sabbath, Jesus said, was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. We're talking about tools, not rules. Unfortunately, it is so easy to replace spiritual life with dead religion.

So why bother with any religious traditions? Why not just do our own thing? Why observe something like Lent? Why deny ourselves?

Well, here are seven things for you to consider:

1. The Importance of Confession and Repentance.

How often do we live in a state of guilt and shame? Or perhaps worse, how often do we live in a state of denial about our sin?

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us."

Sometimes we just have to unload. To come before our Lord with humility and honesty. To take a spiritual inventory of where we are. To confess. To repent. And to turn.
And we know that when we do, as it says in 1 John, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We never get to the point where we no longer need to confess. We never get to the point where we no longer need to repent. We never get to the point where we no long need to turn. And we never get to the point where we no longer need the raw, transforming power of the Gospel to be at work in our lives.

2. The Necessity of Facing the Darkness.

There are some subjects that we try desperately to avoid - things that we don't talk about unless we have to. They are the dark things of life - the suffering that we endure, which is beyond our control. Pain. Sorrow. Death. These are the minor key songs.

But we must have the courage to face the darkness. Though we may be fearful or ashamed, we throw ourselves upon the mercy of God, and we discover that there is no height nor depth that can separate us from the love of Christ. And we obtain grace in our time of need.

We must face the darkness, that we might know deeply that Christ himself has gone before us, that He has been touched with our affliction, and that He is present with us in our darkness. He is Immanuel, God With Us.

3. The Value of Self-Denial.

No one likes being denied what they want, right? We want what we want, when we want it. But the way of Christ is the way of the cross. Jesus commands us to deny ourselves. And that is so hard to do. It's hard enough to cope with being denied something by someone else, but to voluntarily deny ourselves? To pick up our own cross and follow Him? That is almost unthinkable.

When our appetites and our comforts are threatened or removed, what is lurking on the inside of us is often revealed. I'm sure you've had a conversation with a rude person who "hadn't had their coffee yet." When we don't get what we want or what we think we need, we react negatively. And that can be a blessing in disguise - a gift to show us how wicked our hearts can be, and how much we need God's mercy and grace. Like the tax collector in Jesus' story, we bow our heads and say, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."

4. The Joy of Simplicity.

"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone" (or 'til you set it aside temporarily)

Last summer, I spent two months in Ethiopia. One of the things that struck me was how valuable even the smallest things can be depending on your perspective. We laugh about it now, but even a bag of peanut M&Ms was precious!

When you strip it all away, you realize the delight of simple things that you often don't even recognize. We only had electricity every other night, so there were evenings we spent in the kitchen just talking over candlelight. And it was beautiful.

I came away with a desire to be more fully present of the simple joys all around me, and most importantly, of the people around me.

Intentionally simplifying life, even in small ways, can help us reconnect with the simple gifts that are all around us.

5. The Christ in the Commonplace.

Sometimes our allegiances and affections are divided. And it's often hard to see that, considering how fast-paced our lives get. And Jesus is calling out to us all the while, but we can't hear Him. He bids us come, but we can't see.

Sometimes we have to make ourselves stop, breathe and listen. And when we do, we can become more aware of the presence of Christ all around us, and we begin to hear that still, small voice whisper our name. And sometimes it is in the most mundane places that we begin to see the beauty of God shining through.

6. The Power of Community.

Everything is better when it is experienced together.

And it is important to know that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses - a community of Jesus that is 2,000 years in the making - a people sanctified by God for Himself. And there is something about common practices that transcend culture and unite us. We mark our conversion from death to life in the waters of baptism. We share the body and the blood of Christ at the communion table. These sacraments bind us together in unity. And as we observe and partake, we are joining our stories and experiences together with a multitude of other believers - past, present and future - under the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we prepare our hearts together through an intentional season of seeking God - when we enter into the story together - we can experience joy that we would not know if our spiritual pursuits were only private and individual.

Lent certainly isn't baptism or communion. But I think it can serve as something that unifies our hearts in dependence on God ("Give us this day our daily bread"), in confession and repentance ("Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors"), and in anticipation of the joy to come.

7. The Satisfaction of Delayed Gratification.

Delayed gratification is hard to sell. Why wait until tomorrow when you can have something today? Why not now?

Well, as any kid at Christmas knows intuitively (though they probably wouldn't say it), it is the waiting that makes Christmas so special. And though the anticipation just drives you crazy sometimes, if you peek in the closet to see what you got, it's just not the same.

When we have to wait for something, it only adds to the celebration. Waiting builds character. And when we finally receive what it is we hoped for, our joy is more fully experienced.

So during the Lenten season, it is not only a time for somber reflection. It can also be a time of preparation and anticipation. Like in Advent, we can enter the story of those who waited for Messiah's deliverance. As we approach Holy Week, we not only look TO the Cross of Christ, but we also look THROUGH it, to Easter. And as we symbolically and literally take up our "cross," we too endure it, despising the shame, for the joy that is set before us. The feast. The party. The time when the Lord will return and make all things new - when we will be resurrected, and the whole creation will be liberated from death and decay in the new heavens and the new earth! Alleluia!

But I'm getting carried away. We are not to Easter yet. But we will be. And it will be worth the wait!

So what am I doing about Lent? That's a good question. I want to do more than just giving up chocolate or meat, or whatever. I thought about giving up television, but I really don't watch much at all, so it wouldn't be much of a sacrifice. I thought about giving up my iPod... but I'm just not ready for that kind of sacrifice!

There are a couple things I am doing, beyond just giving things up. I have taken up a particular Scripture reading schedule, which has been a true joy so far. And I am also taking time out every day to take a walk or sit outside for a while - a time where I can just stop, breathe, and listen.

And my prayer during this season of preparation is that God would help me to be more fully present each day, and also more aware of His presence wherever I am.

And I pray that for you too.

Amen.