Ashes and Lent
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| Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash |
This year,
for the first time in a long time, I want to be very intentional about
observing Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday today. I plan to receive ash too. I
am very drawn to historically traditional Christian practices. Maybe that is because
I grew up in churches with liturgical traditions – Roman Catholic and Anglican Communion.
Although my family moved on to more Pentecostal and Evangelical churches, I appreciate
liturgical observances and have grown to see the relevance and treasures in
them. Maybe I can persuade you to join me to observe Lent this year.
Where does
Lent come from? The word is from the Old English word Lencten,
which meant spring, named after the season which had longer hours of daylight.
Historically, the Passover and Resurrection happened during the Spring season.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Saturday before the Resurrection (Easter)
Sunday.
The Bible
says nothing about Lent, so when did Lent become an institutionalized liturgical
practice? The First Council of Nicaea in 325AD issued twenty canons dealing
with various aspects of church life, and one of them was about lent, called tessarakonta
(Greek for “forty”). Before this Council, Christians already celebrated the Resurrection
of Jesus Christ around the time Jews celebrated Passover. There was no consensus
on a specific day(s) or even number of days to be spent commemorating Jesus’
suffering and death – some Christians fasted for two days, some for three. The
Council of Nicaea introduced a standard forty-day observance, and over time
there have been various prescriptions and recommendations on how Christians
should observe this season, although fasting has always been a part of Lent.
Why 40
days? To imitate the biblical pattern of
40 days. There is a pattern of 40-days in the Bible, from the flood where it
rained 40 days and 40 nights, to Moses 40 days on Mount Sinai, to Jesus’ 40
days fast in the wilderness. The Church leaders connected Lent especially with
Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness after His baptism and before his earthly
public ministry and they recommended that Christians should spend 40 days preparing
to celebrate the Resurrection.
Why Ash Wednesday?
Why ashes on the forehead? In the Bible, in the Old and New Testaments, repentance,
mourning, and fasting are linked to ashes and sackcloth (Esther 4 vs 1-3, Job 2
vs 8, Job 30 vs 19, Job 42 vs 6, Isaiah 58 vs 5, Jeremiah 6 vs 26, Daniel 9 vs
3, Jonah 3 vs 5-6, Mathew 11 vs 21, and Luke 10 vs 13). At some point in Church
history, in Rome, Christians began the Lenten season with mourning dressed in
sackcloth and sprinkled with ashes. By the 10th Century, the practice was
abbreviated. Instead of wearing sackcloth and sprinkling ashes over bodies, the
Church adopted the practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads as a reminder of
our mortality and the need for penitence. In many churches where Ash Wednesday
is observed, they burn the palms used for the previous Palm Sunday and use the
ashes on the foreheads of worshippers.
Did you count
46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday? If there are 46 days, why does
everyone say that Lent is for 40 days? Traditionally, Sundays are excluded from
the Lenten fast because for the Christian, Sunday is the Lord’s Day, and it
ought to be a day of celebration of the Resurrection.
Lent is a
period of pause. Dr Thomas Carr says that “it is a time for us to turn away
from the distractions of the world so we can better appreciate what Jesus did
for us on the cross and celebrate his victory over death”. The Christian walk
is a journey. Ideally, we ought to worship God, grow in grace and knowledge of
Jesus, and use the means of grace God has graciously provided all year round.
But if we are sincere, we will admit that we get distracted and sometimes lose
our way. Lent could be a kind of guide for our journey back to God, a
redirection to point us in the right direction on our journey. It is a season
of focus, and perhaps more dedication.
There are three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and giving. These are pillars that should be part of our everyday lives as Christians, but sometimes, we are too busy or self-absorbed, and we slack. I am thankful for Lent and the reminders it comes with every year, the opportunity to pause and refocus on the important things. There are no salvation points or special merits for observing Lent. Our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone. Yet, Lent can be a blessing, a means of God's grace.
Typically,
during Lent, the Christian is expected to give up something and take up
something. Some people give up partaking in some activities and luxuries. Some
give up some types of food, sweets, alcohol, sex, television, etc. They then invest
the time and/or money saved from the things they have given up in spiritual
and/or charitable activities. The idea is to give up something to make room for
something else that prepares us for the celebration of the Resurrection and is
helpful for our Christian journey. Think, what are you not doing at all, or not
doing enough of, that will draw you closer to Jesus and help you to love God
more? What can you give up to make room for that thing?
This lent,
I will not be doing a food fast. I would have loved to, but I am unable to at
this time (I will eat sparingly though, maybe even more than I already do 😊). However, I will be giving up my personal movie and games time. I want
to make room for some important things. I want to spend more time reading the Bible,
reflecting on God’s Word, listening to Bible-inspired and Bible-focused conversations
and talks, praying, and writing. Today, I will begin a chronological journey through
the Bible. Let’s see how far I can go before Lent is over. I will also listen
daily to one or two or three Christian-themed music with lyrics on penitence,
devotion, surrender, and the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, as much as I can,
and I will be sharing what I am listening to on my WhatsApp Status and maybe
Twitter?
There is this
popular lore that it takes about forty days to form a new habit, that if you do
something repeatedly for 40 days, it becomes automated, you are more inclined
to do it regularly, it becomes part of you. It is exciting for me that when Lent
is over, we do not have to give up some of the good things we have taken up for
Lent. Lent is such a great time to take up the things that you want to make
more permanent in your Christian journey.
There is no
obligation or compulsion to observe Ash Wednesday or Lent. What you must do,
however, if you identify as a Christian, is to draw near to God, to love God
with your whole being and above all else, and to love people, as God has
commanded us. Please pray especially for Nigeria too, and for Ukraine. Pray for the other nations of the earth too. And if you do take up some healthy practices this season, please
don’t give them up after Lent.
Did you
know that the Roman Catholic Church gives up the Alleluia and the Gloria during
Lent?
Below are my songs for Ash Wednesday of 2022. Do you have any song recommendations? You can share in the comment section below. I would love to read your thoughts about Lent and Ash Wednesday too. Also let me know what you will be giving up and taking up.
P.S. Wordle is not a game, so it doesn't count. Wordle is Wordle. Period 😁
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