QUESTIONS

WHAT IS LENT?

Lent is the period of 40 days when Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ. It is a time for reflection, for confessing and asking for the forgiveness of our sins, and for preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

For centuries, Christians have chosen, as an act of sacrifice, to abstain from certain activities, foods, drinks, etc. during the season of Lent in order to align themselves, even if only in a small way, with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. 

HISTORY OF LENT IN THE REFORMED CHURCH

The practice of Lent arose from a need in the Early Church. John Witvliet summarizes this need well: “Lent was developed in what we now call a ‘missional context.’ It was a pastoral innovation for a time much like our own, where vast numbers of people do not grow up in the church. Lent was the church’s way of saying ‘yes’ to the free offer of salvation and ‘no’ to cheap grace—baptism without discipleship.”

However, through the course of church history, the human compulsion to try to save ourselves crept into the observance of Lent. Just like Pharisaical law in Jesus’ day, the practice of Lent turned toward legalism as the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches began mandating particular practices. Naturally this became a slippery slope, confusing the purpose of Lent with the idea that one’s works makes it possible to earn favor with God.

It was this kind of mindset that reformers like John Calvin were trying to correct in the church. Consequently, Calvin, and others like him, said “no” to the practices of Lent. For them, since God did not command the church to observe Lent, they preferred instead to prepare for Easter using sermon series designed to focus the believer on Jesus’ suffering and death.

Historically, the Christian Reformed Church has shared John Calvin’s perspective about misguided practices of Lent. Today, the CRC places less emphasis on the things we do during Lent, because it can lead to legalism.

Instead, we focus on the symbolic elements of Lent—the liturgy, visuals, and music designed to tune our hearts and minds to hear the message Lent communicates. These elements emphasize the preaching of God’s Word, which is the overarching priority in CRC churches all year long.