A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO EASTER

This month, I would like to expand our thinking regarding the season of Lent. Lent is generally not practiced by those in the Baptist tradition. Lent is considered too Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist or Lutheran for Baptist to recognize.  More likely it comes from the belief that we as Baptist have found freedom through Christ from obligational practices of ancient traditions. Lent is not found anywhere in scripture and  Baptist often say we should practice only what is explicitly commanded in the New Testament. But then again Christmas and Easter are not found in the bible, yet we celebrate these “Holy” days. We might believe we do not need a structured approach to Easter, or wait, could we benefit by observing a season of introspection, self-examination and repentance. Could Lent have some of the same benefits as our celebration of Advent provides. Maybe its time we change that.

This past month, February 22, 2023 was Ash Wednesday; it marked the beginning of the season of Lent. Christians around the world received ashes on their forehead in the form of a cross as a sign of their repentance and fasting. The 40-day Lenten period is marked by a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter. Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the Sundays in Lent. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his mission and calling (Luke 4:1-13 .) Lent officially ends on the Saturday, April 8, 2023, the day before Easter Sunday. As well, there is an entire list of events leading up to the finale that is called Holy week. Holy week begins with our celebration of Palm Sunday.

Now that I have shared with you a short lesson on Theology and Christian history, perhaps we can turn our attention to whether observing Lent would be beneficial. Let me also say that I am by no means suggesting you are obligated to observe Lent. For Baptists, Lent is absolutely a choice and not a requirement. If you decide that Lent has significant meaning for you, it would however, put you in sync with the broader Christian community. It is also important for us in our celebration of Easter to place an emphasis on reflecting upon and appreciating the suffering of Jesus. Do we recognize the hardship Jesus endured to give us salvation. In our western world of living, hardly anyone truly suffers for being a Christian. Yes, someone from work, school, or our own family might make a snide comment but can we really call that suffering.

People associate Lent with “giving things up.” In the process of giving something up we enjoy, we might then reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus dying for our sake. What you give up can be something you enjoy, like soda, candy, etc., or something you spend your time doing, like watching TV or scrolling through Facebook, and then, ideally, you’ll replace that time with spiritual disciplines such as praying or reading your Bible. You might also take time to practice the spiritual discipline of fasting. Not only can this be healthy for you, you experience another type of going without to appreciate what you always have. In the privileged society we live it, it might do us a bit of good to experience hardship to build some spiritual character which can help us deepen our understanding of our faith and appreciate this sacred season.
 

Seeking God and Being a Light,

Pastor Kevin