What Should I Give Up for Lent?

Last week, one of our middle school students shared a creative bit of wisdom with me. Honestly, they never cease to amaze me. They ask the questions of faith that others are too polite to ask, and they find the loopholes in discipleship that make following Jesus a bit more palatable. We were talking about Lent and the spiritual practices that ground and renew our faith - prayer and sacrificial giving, acts of service and fasting. Fasting is the intentional choice to ‘give something up’ so the void might be filled with devotion to God. With clarity and confidence, the student said, “I know what I’m giving up for Lent. Homework!” He made a compelling argument about all the free time he would have and how he would make sure to tell God thank you for that. No doubt, he missed (or manipulated) the point.

Next week, Christians around the world will gather for Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent, the 40 days that leads to the Triduum (Three Days) of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The forty days of Lent recall Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness after his Baptism (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:1-2) as well as Moses’ fortyday fast on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28).

Many Christian denominations – Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, and more – are part of the liturgical tradition. When we gather, we follow an ancient rhythm of worship called liturgy. We also follow a liturgical calendar that annually reminds us of all that God has done for us through Jesus. The rites and rituals of the liturgical year provide a tangible expression of an often intangible faith.

Ash Wednesday is a day set apart in the liturgical year to remind us of God’s faithfulness and our human tendency to stray. In the liturgy for the day, we hear God’s word, seek forgiveness for our sins and are marked by the cross of Christ with ashes. Each part of the liturgy reminds us that our human flesh will fail us, but God’s love never will. The ashes are an invitation to the season of lent.

Part of the liturgy for Ash Wednesday in Shared Lutheran Ministry gives this invitation: “As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent—selfexamination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love— strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament. Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Leader’s Desk Edition, p. 615).

Friends, while I do not encourage you to give up homework or taxes (the adult equivalent), I do invite you to the discipline of Lent. “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13).