I grew up Baptist, where we made a tradition out of not making traditions. That sounds humorous and ironic, but it is also sad … and true. Having spent seven years in a evangelical/reformed context, my perspective has been broadened and my eyes have been opened to the reality of tradition in our lives and its potential for enrichment.
I gave lent my attention in my early years at Moody. It started by giving up what was already easy at that time… I gave up TV. Easy to do, when you’re living in a dorm and one of your school’s in house rules is you can’t have a tv in your room or watch movies on campus. Since then, I have tried to do something for lent each year. And the time to begin is once again up0n us. In these years I have come to understand both the legalistic and idolatrous pitfalls of this self-imposed time of renunciation and reflection. It can be very negative and exhausting. But there is also a beauty to it. This year I am actually thinking of adding a spiritual discipline instead of giving something up. That is my goal in observing Lent: a time of spiritual reflection and intentional growth in my relationship with Jesus Christ. On a simplistic level, that is why the High Church has this season incorporated into their calendar.
Lent to me is a time to reflect on how Jesus gave up so much to redeem my soul. It sounds puny and stupid to think that me giving up wearing plaid shirts in some way reflects the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ. It will be a daily reminder that will hopefully serve as a launching ramp toward spiritual meditation and insight into the depths of Christ’s Sacrifice. Now this should be our daily practice as followers of the Gospel, but I have found that taking this time to give up something and meditate on Christ’s sacrifice makes the celebration of Easter so much more special and meaningful.
So, let me encourage you to think about Lent this year. Could this be a beneficial practice for your spirituality? And one last thought… Could this be a beneficial practice to undertake as you interact with people from the High Church context (i.e. Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, etc.) and point to the Gospel truth behind the tradition of the Church?
Here are some helpful links about lent:
http://www.crosswalk.com/1187468/page0/
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2004/lent.html
Lent starts tomorrow, so no big rush…
