Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/81

Contributor - Rev. John Strik

Title - Lent: Its Origin and Observance

Topic - Lent

Sunday, March 8th is the first Sunday in Lent.

At Lent, Christians remember how the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed them from sin and opened the gateway to heaven. During this season, Christians pray that Christ will be more and more at home in their hearts, living within as they trust in Him.

The Lenten season is a time of inventory-taking and spiritual rededication for all Christians.

Now the word "lent" is not found in the Bible. It comes from the ancient Saxon "Leneten", meaning "spring" which is called "Leneten-tide" because it is the time of the year when the days noticeably increase in length. Lent. likewise, means "spare", "meager","'frugal" or "stunted", as the food was in Lent.

Even though Lent, as practised through the centuries by the Christian church, is not taught in the New Testament, we find that the practise of fasting (an attitude of detachment from the things of time and sense, whether it be food or pleasure or lawful ambition) can be found in the Old as well as in the New Testament. Days of fasting were proclaimed in times of national calamity and were accompanied by a call for confession of national sins (I Samuel 7:6, II Chron. 20:3). Moses fasted on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 34:28), and he also fasted for some forty days on Mount Horeb (Exodus 34:28). Elijah likewise fasted for the same period (I Kings 19:8). After the Babylonia captivity, national fasting became a common practise. Coming to the New Testament, we find that the disciples of John the Baptist fasted, being doubtless inspired by John's own frugal living in the wilderness (Matthew 9:14 - 15). Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). The Pharisees fasted twice each week (Luke 18:12), and the early Christians also fasted (Acts 13:2).

As we look at the history of the Christian church, we find that what we call Lent was observed by the Christian church within 150 years after the crucifixion of Jesus'. At first the number of days of the fast was not specified. But during the fourth century, Pope Felix III decreed to 36 days, and then, in 487 A.D., four more days were added to make it correspond to our Lord's forty day fast in the wilderness? During the 8th or 9th century, the period became fixed and ever since has been observed by the Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Anglican churches.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. The Sundays are a part of the Lenten season, but since they are feast days, they are not included among the forty days of fasting. Therefore, Lent proper is the forty days preceeding Easter, excluding Sundays.

During the Reformation, the practise of fasting was generally relaxed. But with the growth of the Oxford movement of in the Anglican church, the practise observing Lent was revived and although no hard and fast rules were laid down as to abstinence, the recognition Of the period as discipline or as an exercise in self-denial were followed.

Lately the practise of observing Lent in the Reformed church has become very popular, and I believe it to be a good thing, because it is important for every Christian to find some point in time when she/he takes spiritual temperature. "Is it well with my soul?" is still pertinent and very important question to ask.

And, if there has been inexorable self-examination, penitent confession and a fuller commitment to the claims of the crucified One on the part of minister and congregation alike throughout the days preceding Easter, then God's people can be assured of a rich blessing not only on Easter day, but also throughout the year.

Lent is intended to make Easter the point of which Christians walk in newness of life with their Risen Lord.

May it be so for all of us.

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