{"id":1462,"date":"2011-03-10T01:11:12","date_gmt":"2011-03-10T01:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/do-you-have-to-give-up-something-for-lent.html"},"modified":"2011-03-10T01:11:12","modified_gmt":"2011-03-10T01:11:12","slug":"do-you-have-to-give-up-something-for-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/do-you-have-to-give-up-something-for-lent.html","title":{"rendered":"Do You Have to Give Up Something for Lent?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do You Have to Give Up Something for Lent?<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

I
\ngrew up hearing about Catholics who had to fast during the season of
\nLent. No meat on Fridays, only fish. This, you must understand, was a
\ncostly sacrifice in the cafeteria of Glenoaks Elementary School! The
\nfact that my Catholic friends had to give up decent food in Lent always
\nseemed to me to be one more good reason to be a Protestant. (Photo: I
\nexpect that the Lent Promo at the Luby’s in Kerrville is much better
\nthan my elementary school’s cafeteria rations. I should note that this photo, taken a year ago, is of a Luby’s that has since closed. Perhaps their Lenten promo just didn’t work.) <\/p>\n

But, in the past fifteen years or so, I’ve sometimes
\ndecided to join my Catholic sisters and brothers in giving up something
\nduring Lent. This means, depending on how you count the days of Lent,
\nfasting from something for about six weeks. (Officially in the Western
\nworld, Lent comprises the days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the
\nday before Easter. But many traditions do not count the Sundays during
\nthis period as belonging to Lent. Thus Lent covers 46 days, but only 40
\ndays belong to the Lenten fast.) <\/p>\n

People in my theological tradition (the Reformed tradition,
\npioneered by John Calvin) tend not to emphasize Lenten fasting. Partly
\nthis had to do with the conscious rejection of Roman Catholic practices
\nthat were not clearly based on Scripture. Lent is not prohibited in
\nScripture. But it isn’t taught there either. One can be a faithful,
\nbiblical Christian and never recognize Lent. So, in days gone by, many
\nReformed folk and other Protestants who wanted to make the season before
\nEaster special in some way, chose instead to add a spiritual discipline
\nto their lives as a way of preparing for Easter. It’s quite common
\ntoday for churches that don’t have midweek Bible studies, for example,
\nto offer a Lenten Wednesday Evening Study or something like this.
\nSpecial Lenten spiritual retreats are also increasingly common in
\nProtestant in addition to Roman Catholic circles. <\/p>\n

But fasting still plays a prominent role in Lenten
\npractices of many Christians across the denominational and theological
\nspectrum. Throughout church history there have been different kinds of
\nLenten fasts. Nobody, to my knowledge, expected anyone to give up all
\nfood for the whole season. In the Middle Ages it was common for
\nChristians to give up certain sorts of food, like meat and\/or dairy
\nproducts, for example. This explains why, in my youth, Catholics
\nabstained from meat on the Fridays of Lent. Many Catholics still
\nobserve this discipline. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lenten fast
\nis taken even more seriously than in the Roman Catholic church, with
\nmany Orthodox folk eating vegetarian meals during the season. <\/p>\n

In
\nrecent years I have sometimes given up something in Lent, perhaps
\nchocolate or watching television. The latter was particularly hard
\nbecause I enjoy college basketball, and March Madness (the NCAA
\nbasketball tournament) always falls in the middle of Lent. This year I
\nhave decided to give up something I enjoy. I’ve also adopted an
\nadditional daily spiritual discipline. It don’t think it would be
\nappropriate for me to speak in detail about what I’m doing at this time.
\nBut I would like to share some reflections on what I’ve been learning
\nthrough my version of a Lenten fast.<\/p>\n

What I’ve Learned by Fasting During Lent <\/strong><\/p>\n

First, giving up something allows me to make a tangible
\nsacrifice to the Lord. Although certain sacrifices are already present
\nin my life, they’re sort of “built in” at this point. I don’t often
\nexperience giving up something for God on a daily basis. The act of
\nsacrifice reminds me of my commitment to God and my desire to make him
\nfirst in my life.<\/p>\n

Second, by giving up something I usually enjoy on a daily
\nbasis, I have sometimes found myself yearning for that thing. Frankly,
\nI’ve been tempted to give up my Lenten fast at times. I could easily
\nargue that it’s unnecessary (it is optional, after all) and certainly
\nnot taught in Scripture as something Christians must do in Lent (which is not mentioned in Scripture). But, though I don’t think my effort at fasting
\nmakes God love or bless me more, I do think it raises my awareness of
\nhow much I depend on other things in life rather than the Lord. I see
\nhow easy it is for me to set up all sorts of little idols in my life.
\nFasting, in some way, helps me surrender my idols to God.<\/p>\n

Third, when I give up something I like and then feel an
\nunquenched desire for it, I’m reminded of my neediness as a person. And
\nneediness, I believe, is at the heart of true spirituality. Jesus said:<\/p>\n

\n

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. . . .
\nBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
\n                                                                                     Matthew 5:3, 6<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of course feeling hungry for one of life’s pleasures isn’t
\nquite the same as hungering and thirsting for righteousness. But when I
\nfeel my hunger, when I sense my neediness for some other thing, I can
\nuse this to get in touch with my hunger and need for God. <\/p>\n

Fourth, as I continue with my Lenten fast, I find myself
\nless eager for the thing I’ve given up. Ironically, this makes my fast
\neasier. It’s almost something I can take for granted, thus dulling the
\nspiritual impact of the fast. But I’m also gratified to know that one of
\nmy little “idols” is being set aside in my heart, as I learn to depend
\nmore upon God. I’m experiencing a bit of freedom that makes me gladly
\nthankful for God’s grace at work in me.<\/p>\n

Adding a Lenten Discipline<\/strong><\/p>\n

Instead of or in addition to fasting during Lent, you might
\nadd a spiritual exercise or discipline to your life. If your church
\nsponsors a Lenten Bible study, you might choose to join this study. Or
\nyou may want to participate in some act of kindness, such as feeding
\npeople at a homeless shelter. <\/p>\n

I like to add something that I can do every day. It needs
\nto be realistic, given my nature and patterns of life. So, for example,
\nit would be a bad idea if I decided to get up at 5:00 a.m. to pray for
\nan hour each day of Lent. This would stretch me so far that I’d surely
\nfail. But I could take on additional Bible reading. Some years I’ve read
\none chapter of a gospel each day of Lent, taking it in slowly and
\nmeditating upon it. Other years I’ve used a Lenten devotional to focus
\nmy thought. <\/p>\n

If you have no idea what to do during Lent, let me suggest
\nthe following. Set aside some time of quiet to as the Lord what he wants
\nyou to do. See if the Spirit of God guides you to something. If nothing
\ncomes to mind, I’d recommend that you read a chapter of a gospel each
\nday. If you start with Mark, you’ll have time to read all of Mark plus
\nall of one other gospel during Lent. <\/p>\n

Perhaps some of my readers would like to suggest Lenten
\ndisciplines that they have tried in the past, and how they have
\nexperienced God’s grace through these exercises. <\/p>\n

So, as we enter the season of Lent, I am grateful for the
\nsaints who have gone before me, some of whom discovered the blessings
\nof giving up something in Lent, while others grew in their faith by
\nadding a Lenten discipline. No matter what you do during this Lenten
\nseason, I pray that God will draw us closer to him, and prepare us for
\na fresh experience of Good Friday and Easter. May God’s peace be with
\nYou!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do You Have to Give Up Something for Lent? I grew up hearing about Catholics who had to fast during the season of Lent. No meat on Fridays, only fish. This, you must understand, was a costly sacrifice in the cafeteria of Glenoaks Elementary School! The fact that my Catholic friends had to give up…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[199],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-year-liturgical-year"],"yoast_head":"\nDo You Have to Give Up Something for Lent? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1462\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}