THE idea of 40-day events or programmes has become increasingly popular in churches. Forty-day periods of prayer and activities are being used for various situations and to promote church growth agendas. These are organised to culminate in a time of prayer for the nation or to promote “40 days of purpose” to bring about growth in the church. Christians who are introduced to various 40-day programmes need to be also aware of the season of Lent, the original 40-day period, observed in the Church since its early days.
Lent, an important part of the liturgical calendar of the Church, has ancient roots. As early as the 2nd century, the church father Irenaeus (130-200 AD) referred to a season similar to Lent that was observed in the Church, though it was less than 40 days. By the time the Council of Nicaea met in 325 AD, mention was made of a 40-day Lenten period of fasting, culminating in Easter.
Since then, Lent has become a significant season in the liturgical life of the Church, though in more recent times, Chris-tians have become ignorant of its origins, intentions or value. That is a great pity, for observing the season of Lent can bring churches and individuals to deeper levels of spiritual life. It is thus important that while there are many kinds of 40-day initiatives in the church, we must also rediscover the original 40-day season observed by the Church for centuries.
While other forms of 40-day programmes may focus on some chosen theme such as national well-being or church growth, Lent focuses specially on Christ, and hence its supreme value. The liturgical calendar of the Church is designed in such a way that it helps us to build our lives on the Life of Christ.
Whether it is Advent, Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, Easter or Ascension Day, the annual liturgical journey of the Church is a journey embarked WITH Christ, as we walk with our Lord, fixing our gaze on Him, the Shepherd of our souls.
In this sense, Lent is connected with an important event in the life of Christ – His 40 days of fasting in the wilderness following His baptism. During this time, He was tempted by the devil but proved Himself to be faithful. Lent is therefore an invitation for us to follow Jesus into the wilderness of our lives, to search our hearts deeply, to repent and to seek a holy singleness of heart.
Notice that the wilderness retreat of Jesus took place between His baptism and public ministry. It tells us of the danger faced by everyone who wishes to serve God.
The devil can take the relief, enthusiasm and confidence of our baptism and use these to seduce us into unholy paths of service. The devil is a master in cosmetic art, helping Christians to look good on the outside, while corrupting and destroying them inside. He tried his vile strategies and skills on Jesus but was soundly defeated.
As the writer to the Hebrews said of Jesus – “He was tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” (Heb. 4:15).
The season of Lent gives us an oppor-tunity to journey with Jesus into our own wilderness, to face our own weaknesses, and to unmask the voice of the devil that we so often entertain in the secret places of our hearts and blindly or foolishly obey in the daily choices in our lives.
When we are weak with disappointment at ourselves and our lack of spiritual strength and vitality, we can lean on the strong arms of Jesus, the One who could not be tempted away from the path of the cross by whatever forms of carrot or stick that the ingenious devil could conjure up in the dry desert air. The silky voice of the enemy of our souls failed to impress the Lord.
LENT is a time to repent, experience God’s forgiveness, and discover the joys of self-denial, holiness and self-giv-ing love as we gaze at the holy and loving face of Jesus. It is a time to shed our pre-tences, to approach God just as we are, and to face the wild animals that populate the wilderness in our hearts (cf. Mk. 1:13). We are called to live as Christians by identifying ourselves with Christ. We are baptised into Christ and into His death; we carry our crosses and walk with Him, we die with Him and are raised into new life with Him (Rom. 6:3-10; Lk. Mt. 10:38). By observing Lent, we have a further opportunity to deepen this identification and connection with Christ our Lord, and to return to our first love.
Some practices during Lent will help us in this process. Fasting, a key Lenten discipline, and sadly, a forgotten spiritual discipline, can help us to come to terms with the forces that drive us from within and around us. It will help us to pray deeply and to face our own sinful desires, obses-sions, addictions and ambitions that often hinder our spiritual growth and well-be-ing. In this sense, fasting is not only from food, but from other forms of comfort and indulgence.
In the end, Lent does not primarily address the “how” or “what” questions for it is not a programme that is tied to a pe-nultimate goal, however worthy it is. Instead Lent addresses the “who” question. It brings us to Jesus, our Saviour and Model. It is relational in nature and goes beyond purposes and goals to the Person of Jesus. It also helps us to address the question of who we are in Christ’s presence, as individuals and as a community.
Let us rediscover Christ as we walk with Him – into the wilderness and waste-lands of our hurried and distracted lives. Referring to the Methodist practice of keep-ing Fridays as a day of fasting, Hannah Ball, an early Methodist, declared it to be “a fast-day to my body, but a feast day to my soul”.
Lent, indeed, can be a “fastival” (a wrongly-typed word I recently picked up in a Methodist church report) where we fast from sin and feast on Christ. Let us therefore meet Christ afresh, and experi-ence freedom and fullness in our souls. For He, the Victorious Lord, the Crucified Saviour, and the Risen Christ, has shown the way.
THE ORIGINAL 40-DAY SEASON
‘It is thus important that while there are many kinds of 40-day initiatives in the church, we must also rediscover the original 40-day season observed by the Church for centuries. While other forms of 40-day programmes may focus on some chosen theme such as national well-being or church growth, Lent focuses specially on Christ, and hence its supreme value.’