Why Evangelicals Should Celebrate Lent

Recently a friend asked me to write an article on why evangelical Christians should consider celebrating Lent.  It is a good question, since the topic of observing Lent was something I never even considered for the first 20 years of my Christian life.  The kind of Christian tradition I grew up in considered Lent to be strictly a Roman Catholic practice.  But first let's define a few terms. 

What exactly is an "evangelical"?  That term gets thrown around a lot these days, but few people stop to actually define exactly what is meant by the term. I have always appreciated theologian Alister McGrath's definition.  My paraphrase of McGrath's definition is that an evangelical is a Christian who, regardless of their church affiliation, holds to the following six distinctives:  1) the unique authority of the Bible, 2) the unique Lordship of Jesus as the center of the Christian faith, 3) the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit for Christian living, 4) the necessity of personal conversion, 5) the calling of the church to proclaim the good news of Christ, and 6) the importance of living the Christian life in the context of Christian community.  Based on this definition, there are evangelicals in most Christian denominations, as well as the  myriad of non-denominational and charismatic churches throughout the world. 

Based on this definition, it becomes clear that  many evangelicals already celebrate Lent.  McGrath, for example, is an Anglican, but clearly is also an evangelical.  There are evangelicals in the Wesleyan tradition and Reformed tradition who already celebrate Lent.  So perhaps the real question is why an independent or non-denominational church should celebrate Lent. 

Now that we have defined "evangelical" and further narrowed the question, let's define what we mean by Lent.  Much of my source for this section is an article from Christian History on the origin of Lent.  In the Christian liturgical calendar, Lent refers to the forty days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter.  This season begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the night before Easter Sunday (or Maundy Thursday depending on your tradition).  Typically this season focuses on repentance from sin, acknowledgement of one's own mortality, and sober reflection on the transience of life. 

The word "lent" comes from the Middle English word lente and the Early English term lencten, which means "lengthening," specifically in this context, the lengthening of the days.  Thus this word came to refer to springtime, when the daylight hours became longer.  

Depiction of the Council of Nicea
from the Sistene Chapel

The practice of observing a time of fasting and reflection the forty days before Easter is a very ancient practice, predating Christian celebration of Christmas (Christians began celebrating Christmas as an annual holy day in the late fourth century).  As early as 325 AD, the pastors who attended the Council of Nicea discussed these forty days of fasting before Easter.  It is likely that this practice arose because the early Christians reserved Easter Sunday as a time to baptize new Christians and their households.  The forty days of fasting was specifically designed for these new converts to prepare for their baptism.  However, over time this season of preparation was expanded to include all Christians.


So how does one celebrate Lent?  Here are a few suggestions: 

Consider giving something up.  The second century church father Tertullian likened this to Daniel's partial fast.  Some people give up meat.  Others give up technology or sweets.  I have known women who have given up wearing make-up.  If you choose to give something up, use the extra time to focus on Jesus and the cost of your redemption.  

Consider taking something up.  This is engaging in a new spiritual practice during Lent.  N. T. Wright has created a 40 day Bible reading plan for Lent that can be accessed for free through You Version. Or consider a time of confession at the end of each day. 

Consider observing Lent with others.  The Christian faith is irreducibly communal.  Find others to observe Lent with, whether friends, family, or church members.  Remind each other of the importance of preparing for Easter.  Remind each other of your own mortality, that there is a God and you're not him.  Rather than being morbid, this is freeing and life giving.  One of my favorite resources for Lent is the wonderful devotional anthology Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. 

Should evangelicals celebrate Lent?  I would suggest yes, not as a legalistic requirement, but as a way of preparing our hearts for celebrating the wonderful reality of Christ's resurrection.