Today is Ash Wednesday. For many in the Christian faith, this day marks the beginning of the season we refer to as "Lent." (The word itself simply means "spring" but was originally referred to in Greek as the "Tessarakostē" or "fortieth day before Easter" - obviously, "lent" is easier to say)
No, you will not find any "requirement" in the Christian Bible that says one must observe Ash Wednesday or Lent. In fact, because it is not a "requirement" many Christian denominations choose not to observe this season. Which is just fine. (Though, food for thought - there is nothing in the Bible that says one must observe Christmas or Easter for that matter, either.)
In the faith tradition I am part of, Lutheran, observing church seasons like Advent, Lent, Easter, Epiphany and Pentecost is not about "requirement." It's not about "having" to do something. It's about wanting to. It's about ritual and symbolism and doing all those things that humans do to help bring meaning and significance in their lives. Humans utilize dates and festivals like these in order to set aside special time to draw nearer to God, to carve out time in our otherwise hectic and frenzied lives to focus on God-related events that have happened throughout our long and storied history. The time period between Ash Wednesday and Lent is 40 days (excluding Sundays - those are all considered "little Easters"), which most Biblically literate people recognize that the number 40 is a significant number in the Bible used by God to bring about change and transformation (Noah was on the ark for 40 days and nights, Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments of God for 40 days, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, etc.)
The verse from Ash Wednesday is from Genesis 3:19, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." It is that moment when God exiles humanity from His presence in the Garden. It is the beginning of how sin separated us from God. Throughout the next 40 days, Christians enter into a time of self-reflection, repentance, and prayer, culminating with Holy Week - which starts with Jesus entry into the city of Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the last supper with his disciples (Maundy Thursday), his death on the cross (Good Friday) and finally, his triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday. These 40 days represent the entire story of our relationship with God - our sinful nature, God's gracious acts of reconciliation that culminates with the death and resurrection of His Son in order to reconcile and redeem the world.
If nothing else, Lent is a time to just take some time to recognize the sweeping and grand nature of how God has acted throughout human history.
Admittedly, I grew up not really observing Lent. I remember going to my Catholic friend's houses on Fridays and only being able to eat fish sticks, but aside from that, I didn't really know much about it. I was in my late 20's before I began to actually observe the season, and admittedly, the discipline and practice was a transformative period in my life.
Since we do not view it as a requirement, we have no "rules" or "regulations" regarding what people can and cannot do during Lent. We encourage people to utilize the time to reflect, focus, and re-center their faith lives. A time to "re-order" one's priorities in life and their relationship with God. Many may choose the path of "self-denial" - where they give something up as a symbolic gesture that emulates the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Others will fast, again emulating Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert. Such a practice weakens us and reminds us of our reliance upon God for food and sustenance. Still others will engage in acts of giving, service, or prayer disciplines. Some will commit themselves to a particular cause during this time.
Now arguably, no matter what "season" it is, one should always be focused on and practicing many of these things. But we're human. We know we lose focus, we know we allow the other conflicts, events, and stresses in our lives to take front and center. Lent merely is that stark reminder of what truly matters - God's mission in this world, in our lives, and where He is leading us.
No, you will not find any "requirement" in the Christian Bible that says one must observe Ash Wednesday or Lent. In fact, because it is not a "requirement" many Christian denominations choose not to observe this season. Which is just fine. (Though, food for thought - there is nothing in the Bible that says one must observe Christmas or Easter for that matter, either.)
In the faith tradition I am part of, Lutheran, observing church seasons like Advent, Lent, Easter, Epiphany and Pentecost is not about "requirement." It's not about "having" to do something. It's about wanting to. It's about ritual and symbolism and doing all those things that humans do to help bring meaning and significance in their lives. Humans utilize dates and festivals like these in order to set aside special time to draw nearer to God, to carve out time in our otherwise hectic and frenzied lives to focus on God-related events that have happened throughout our long and storied history. The time period between Ash Wednesday and Lent is 40 days (excluding Sundays - those are all considered "little Easters"), which most Biblically literate people recognize that the number 40 is a significant number in the Bible used by God to bring about change and transformation (Noah was on the ark for 40 days and nights, Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments of God for 40 days, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, etc.)
If nothing else, Lent is a time to just take some time to recognize the sweeping and grand nature of how God has acted throughout human history.
Admittedly, I grew up not really observing Lent. I remember going to my Catholic friend's houses on Fridays and only being able to eat fish sticks, but aside from that, I didn't really know much about it. I was in my late 20's before I began to actually observe the season, and admittedly, the discipline and practice was a transformative period in my life.
Since we do not view it as a requirement, we have no "rules" or "regulations" regarding what people can and cannot do during Lent. We encourage people to utilize the time to reflect, focus, and re-center their faith lives. A time to "re-order" one's priorities in life and their relationship with God. Many may choose the path of "self-denial" - where they give something up as a symbolic gesture that emulates the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Others will fast, again emulating Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert. Such a practice weakens us and reminds us of our reliance upon God for food and sustenance. Still others will engage in acts of giving, service, or prayer disciplines. Some will commit themselves to a particular cause during this time.
Now arguably, no matter what "season" it is, one should always be focused on and practicing many of these things. But we're human. We know we lose focus, we know we allow the other conflicts, events, and stresses in our lives to take front and center. Lent merely is that stark reminder of what truly matters - God's mission in this world, in our lives, and where He is leading us.
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