Lent Fasting Overview
Lent is one of the oldest observations on the Christian calendar and today, in our 21st century, millions of people still take Lent fasting very seriously.  The word Lent is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Lencten, which means spring.  Roman Catholic Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, March 1, and runs for 40 days, excluding Sundays, ending at sundown on the 13^th of April with the beginning of the mass of the Lord’s Supper. Lent is observed in a handful of Protestant denominations, namely Anglicans and Episcopalians, but the majority who practice Lent are Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches. 

The idea of Lent is a period of time set aside for penitence, self-examination and spiritual renewal, preparing the heart for the ensuing great feast on Easter Sunday.  During this time the participants are asked to give up an earthly pleasure as a sacrifice and penance to God.  Unlike the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church has relaxed the historically stringent requirements of Lent.  Today, one can simply give up chocolate, or coffee and feel a sense of participation.

Lent’s Evolving History
As early as 325AD, the Council of Nicea discussed a 40-day Lenten period.  Forty days is a significant number in the bible.  Moses and Elijah spent forty days in the wilderness, Nineveh was given forty days to repent, but most importantly, Jesus fasted forty days in the desert as preparation for ministry and to face His foe, Satan.

In the fourth century, Christianity became the state religion in Rome.  There was a great influx of new Church members and the Church became concerned there would be a weakening of their core values.  Therefore the 40 day Lenten fast with three hour a day classes became compulsorily before Baptism on Easter’s Eve.  The observance was strict; only one meal a day near evening, and it could not include any animal products.

By 800AD, the ritual of Lent was becoming more lenient. Church members were now permitted to eat at 3PM. By 1400AD, you could eat at  noon.  As time went on, fish was allowed.  Finally in 1966, the Roman Catholic Church had reduced the restricted fast to two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  Conversely, the Eastern Orthodox form of Lent is still quite strict to this day.       

Mardi Gras  
Parades, floats, beads, masks, revelry and New Orleans all come to mind when mentioning the name Mari Gras.  Actually this carnival is celebrated all over the world and has a long history.  Ancient Greeks would kill a goat, cut the hide into strips, run naked through planted fields while priests of the Greek god Pan would lash there skin with the bloody goat whips.  A part of their spring fertility rite, it was accompanied with lewdness, drunkenness and orgies.  In the early days of the Church, Leaders where appalled by such practices.  This rite was considered perverted even by pagan standards, and they tried to put it to a stop.  The Church was largely unsuccessful so they tried a new tactic.  The early Church incorporated this spring rite as an acceptable feast before the Lenten season.  The Church named it Carnival, which comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning “farewell to the flesh.”  The French named it Mardi Gras, which means, Fat Tuesday, a day of gorging oneself on meat, milk and eggs as a prelude to 40 days of abstinence.       

The Sin-Penance Ritual
One of the oldest and most common rituals humans have practiced down through the ages is the Sin-Penance Ritual.  Binge-Purge is the secular version.  It has taken many forms, celebrated in diverse and sometimes strange ways, Mardi Gras followed by Lent being a perfect example, but it boils down to the same basic elements.  The Sin-Penance Ritual stages a tangible tug-of-war drama between faith and guilt, the inner war between conscience and craving.  If you are soft hearted, sincere, or struggle with addiction and compulsive behavior, then you know what I am talking about. 

Before I get on my spiritual high horse and judge the flagrant distortion of the true and good intention of Lent, I must confess I have my own versions of Mardi Gras.  There is a tendency within all of us to create a dichotomy between our “cutting loose” and spiritual life.  Examining my own personal rituals, I think it must come from a fear that if we really allow God’s Spirit to invade all of our life, we will lose freedom.  But in fact the complete opposite is true.  Mardi Gras is not an expression of personal freedom before engaging in a forced self-sacrifice.  It cannot be so, because its aftermath always results in a profound feeling of emptiness and personal betrayal.  This dissatisfaction leads us to dependence and addiction, forcing us back again and again to the same old place.  This is true whether it be a whisky bottle or pornography, it is our futile attempt to try to recapture meaningfulness and a cheap imitation for joy.  Repeated penance over and over for the same sin is also not freedom.  It becomes increasingly hard to take ourselves seriously and it no longer has the ability to clear the guilty conscience, resulting in a callused heart and feeling of separation from God.  

Any Sociologist would tell you that the Sin-Penance Ritual is a creation of the human psyche and a good bible teacher would interject that it has nothing to do with God.  Religion has created rituals and traditions that can often do more harm than good. 

So is Lent just an unsalvageable and useless ritual?  

Keep It Real
If you were to ask me that question ten years ago, I would have proclaimed a frothy yes!  But I have learned some tough lessons over the last ten years.  I can get all the rituals right, making sure their roots are clean from any pagan origins, I can sing theologically correct songs, preach bible-based messages, even pray proper prayers and still be far from God.  Miles away!  And then I bump into a new Christian, their bible knowledge a tithe of mine, they have yet to learn the jargon, and come from a less then creditable denomination, but have more of the Holy Spirit in their left toe than I have in my whole heart.

 So what is the answer to Lent?  

Romans 14 proclaims that any Ritual, even ones rooted in law, if done out of love for God, is good and noble and should not fall under any man’s judgment. 

I picture a nameless old lady in a distant land, preparing her heart for Lent on bended knee, tears of devotion running down her wrinkled cheeks.  She thinks of her simple life with thankfulness.  God is never far from her thoughts; she is in love with her Savior.  She will warm the heart of God.  One day the entire Universe will know her name. 

The key to break meaningless Ritual, cold Religion and vain Tradition is making our whole life a rite of love and devotion to God.

So why fast?  Fasting is a wonderful period set aside to quiet our lives and renew our love for God.  A honeymoon with the One we love most.  Is there penance involved?  There always will be, lead by the holy Spirit.  But understand, you do not receive forgiveness because you have earned it through fasting, no!  Through fasting, your heart is more susceptible to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  I deal with this in greater depth in the article Motive Is Everything.

So as you prepare for Lent, think of it as a time set aside to deepen your relationship with God.  Remember, God is about relationship.  He wants to be near to you so He can bless you and love on you.  Take these next weeks to unclutter and quiet your heart.  If you have missed the Lent season, do not despair.  You can call a personal Lent any time of the year!