Prayer
Lent Removes Our Lint
Do you celebrate Lent? Many Baptists don’t always follow the broader church calendar for seasons such as Lent. And Ash Wednesday is almost unheard of in many Baptist churches. As a secondary school student I remember the first time I noticed one of my Catholic friends had an ash smudge on his forehead that day. His cursory explanation didn’t really create much interest in me for the day nor the practice. Later, this same friend and I were university roommates. I watch with some scepticism as he honoured Lent by removing red and green coloured M&M candies from each packet he consumed. I’m not sure how it helped him celebrate the season but it was a gift for me as I got the shunned chocolate treats. I recall thinking that there must be more to this season of the church than what I saw my good friend doing.
In fact, there is a great deal more to the remembrance of Ash Wednesday and Lent. When done well, when done with a heart motivated by a desire to draw nearer to the Lord and not one driven by the letter of the law, then Lent can be a season of blessing. Briefly, Lent is a season of approximately 40 days for the Christ-follower to deny themself some material benefit with the hope of gaining in spiritual awareness and blessing. (I say approximately because different groups count the time differently with some groups taking each Sunday off as a bit of a feast day.) When done with sincerity of heart, it is a season of fasting from some food, entertainment, or other valued aspect of life with the hope of drawing nearer to Christ. Lent almost always is practiced with the denial of material pleasure. However, it could be a season of acceptance of some new discipline or form of service to others. We have a lot of freedom in choosing how to use the time and even if we want to celebrate the season.
Years after observing my friend, and we are still friends after all these years, I came to a perhaps clearer understanding and appreciation of the season. In my practices over the years, I have found the season of Lent to be an opportunity to clean out the lint from my life, to dust off some aspects of my discipleship and to find renewed energy for following the Lord Jesus. Lent can be a time to slow down, inspect my daily practices, make adjustments that will hopefully result in a smoother relationship with Jesus.
Anyone who has used a vented clothes dryer knows the importance of cleaning out the lint trap on a regular basis. If the lint piles up, it can block the flow of air and even break the machine’s ability to work properly. The same is true in our lives. We need to take regular time to clean out the lint from our lives. If you choose to celebrate Lent, may it be a blessing.
Lawrence Ballew
Village Chaplain
With Streams of Living Water”
