Anyone here observe Lent, etc?

Being that I am not Roman Catholic or Lutheran, I do not observe anything to do with the Lenten season. However, I do like lentils and try to observe them in a nice stew as often as possible.

 

Observing 40 days as a time of preparation for the upcoming great sacrifice is in no way un-Scriptural. How many years did the Jews wander in the desert? 40. How long did Jesus spend in the desert fasting and praying? 40. We remember these incidents by having our own 40 days of prayer, fasting, penance and almsgiving.

Not everything that a Christian does has to be spelled out as a command in the Scriptures. We were given a Church which was to be lead by succeeding generations by Jesus Himself to instruct us on the various ways we can worship Him. We believe that not everything about Jesus and what can be deemed a proper religious observance was written down in the Scriptures.

A particular practice that I like is attending the Stations of the Cross (usually held every Friday) where we follow Jesus from His condemnation to His death on the cross. It's a great prayer that helps to bring forth His sacrifice once again to all that attend.

 

When Christianity was accepted as an authorized religion in the Roman Empire (AD312) there was a marriage of Paganism and Christianity. As a result much of Paganism was dressed up in the clothes of Christendom and accepted into the church(es). The visible church was then well on its way to becoming the Roman Catholic Church.

Lent was probably the adaptation of the Pagan practice of "Weeping for Tammuz".
The Paganism of Lent and Weeping for Tammuz!

I suppose its harmless because nobody actually cares about Tammuz since the practice has currently morphed into a celebration leading up to Easter (Ishtar) or Resurrection Day (of Jesus Christ).

Other practices came along with "Lent". e.g. Mardi Gras in NOLA and many other Catholic populations where the excesses of the flesh are vented and said excesses are tolerated as a kind of release safety valve in preparation of the restrictions of the flesh during Lent. Useless IMO and certainly not proper for tolerating acts of porneia.

Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 

Bible teacher Susie Hawkins, a Southern Baptist:

North American Mission Board • My Lenten Journey

"I reconnected with a friend from a liturgical background who proved to be a valuable resource for all things Lent. Her encouragement then and even today has pushed me to pursue and eagerly anticipate this forty day period."

"Some say 'Lent is not in the Bible.'That is true, but neither is the word "'Trinity'. Lent is a word, a term describing a period of prayer, fasting and repentance and that is most definitely in the Bible!"

"It’s not too late to join the pilgrimage! Here are a few resources you may want to consider
Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter by Nancy Guthrie.
The Final Days of Jesus, by Kostenberger/Taylor.
Lent for Everyone, by NT Wright or the YouVersion.
The classic Show Me the Way by Henri Nouwen.
Margaret Feinburg is offering an online Lenten Bible reading challenge."

Portrait of Susie Hawkins (stained glass window in the chapel of SWBTS, Fort Worth)

 

So I see, your contention is we may not deviate one iota from what is written and if we do it is false? Tell me brother, is there just one correct way to pray? Do we have to be on our knees? Should we prostrate ourselves on the floor? Can we pray while running or walking? Does the prayer have to be long or short? Do we have to be in church? Is there one particular form we must follow? Please tell me in the Scriptures where it says we must use the words "In Jesus's name" as many do after uttering a prayer?

We are told to go to church on the first day of the week (Sunday), so where is the command to go on a Wednesday? Are you saying doing that is a false action? How about your communion service, do you adhere to the letter of the law about that?

The Jews wandered for 40 years in the desert and that is a biblical truth. Jesus went to the desert to pray and fast and that is also a biblical truth. If Christians of today seek to emulate those two truths by having a 40 day period of reflection, fasting, and prayer prior to the time we acknowledge His death and Resuurection and to praise Him by those actions, there is absolutely nothing wrong or un-biblical about that either.

You claim is ridiculous.

 

OK Ishtar had definitely receded as a worshiped deity in 4th century Rome but still around as many of the false gods/goddesses lingered long after their times of popularity known of course by other names. Also, yes Hislop's book (required reading in my college days) is not as accurate as one formerly supposed as indeed modern discoveries have shown. However there was an "egg" worship fetish in the practice of Ishtar passed on down no matter the later developments which I believe Hislop was not aware.

One of the factors in my departure from the Church of Rome was the fact that Roman Catholicism is a historical museum of compromised Christianity and Roman 4th century Paganism. Or at least in the local churches of my boyhood and my father's heritage of Italian Roman Catholicism.

The Stations of the Cross a ritual worship practice I believe was not so much a product of Paganism but a help for the illiterate worshipers of the Dark Age and has lingered on to this day.

 

Methodist, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Orthodox, Reformed and many others observe the season of Lent

 

If someone observes Lent, he is not Reformed, by definition.
To be Reformed should mean to have one's belief and practices constantly reformed by Scripture. Since Lent is not to be found in Scripture, if someone observes it, he is not Reformed.
If whatever one is giving up is something bad, why wait until Lent to stop doing it, and why take it up again afterwards? If it is something entirely permissible, it is false piety.

 

I think Luther was pre-Reformation. He was a man of his times. The Reformation began as an attempt (by Luther) to reform Romanism. His actions and writings fed the flames of the Protestant Reformation, but Luther himself was not Reformed as Reformed is commonly defined.

 

R.C Sproul's church — not Reformed!

St. Andrew's Chapel bulletin • First Sunday in Lent March 10th, 2019

 

Straight out of the Lutheran Formula of Concord:

Book of Concord of the Lutheran Church

 

Anyone here observe Lent?

Not any more. My dryer ain't worked in 3 years.