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Protestants Embracing Lent

If a church member says she wants to keep Lent, would you discourage her?

Washington D.C.'s Capitol Hill Baptist Church doesn't discourage the practice among members of its congregation:

Lenten Observance Becoming More Widespread
Depends on what "keeping Lent" means.

In our church, we celebrate Ash Wednesday as a day of reflection preceding six and a half weeks of addressing the sin in our lives. In other words, we don't surrender trivial things. We attempt to root out the sin that has embedded itself in our lives. I didn't read the article, so I don't know what she undertook, proposed, or otherwise endeavored to do. Doesn't matter to me. She's not in my church, and as a sister in Christ, she can do as she sees fit in light of what she believes God is calling her to do.

We use the season as a reflection of what we need to eliminate in light of what Christ has done for us, as mourned for its necessity on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and then commemorated on Resurrection Morning.
 

Alcott

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
I 'embraced' it yesterday when I picked some up off the top of my drier to put in the trash bin.
 

annsni

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Isn't the goal of lent that which we should be doing as believers all the time?
 

Scarlett O.

Moderator
Moderator
When I was in college, my friends who practiced "giving up" something for Lent always consisted of one of the following:

  • giving up the "f" word for a few weeks
  • giving up smoking, drinking, or chocolate for a few weeks
  • or giving up fornication for a few weeks
Obviously, because they weren't observing Lent correctly nor viewed salvation/Lordship correctly, I never had any college friends who made it.

There was never any mention of genuine sacrifice of time to deeply reflect on their own sin and repentance.

I've always thought of a true Lent as being sort a long term fasting from something that you SHOULD be able to - in good conscience - pick back up later. For example, one might want to forgo reading the newspaper, watching TV, or scrap-booking for Lent and in place of that time, spending EXTRA time of reflection/prayer/and seeking the Lord.

These things are not a sin, so one could pick it back up later.

I don't think anything is wrong with practicing Lent, if it is done correctly.
of mediation of our sinful selves, but is an extra time during a particular special time of the year.

It should be an addition to what we are already doing.
 

Zaac

Well-Known Member
If a church member says she wants to keep Lent, would you discourage her?

Washington D.C.'s Capitol Hill Baptist Church doesn't discourage the practice among members of its congregation:

Lenten Observance Becoming More Widespread

If it's being done with the purpose of fasting( mixture of not doing something, prayer and repentance )as this giving something up essentially is, then yes.

But I remember in high school how the Catholics woulsd always talk about giving up chocolate or something seemingly inane for Lent because Lent was viewed as another religious practice with no ultimate meaning. It got checked off the list and they started eating chocolate again.
 

OldRegular

Well-Known Member
What if everyone gave up the Baptist Board for Lent. Given the tenor of some of our posts that might be worthwhile.
 

preachinjesus

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
We try to engage with our members who desire to do something during the Lenten season. It is, at least for us, a signal that they desire something deeper in the walk with Jesus and that is a win worth celebrating for us.

Generally the conversation tries to get steered towards why Lent is observed and what it means. I think it is rather harmless for most folks. We've lost something of the mystery of faith and the grandeur of God's plan in too many of our churches. For many embracing Lent, there is a desire to grow and seek a deeper path. :)
 

Bro. James

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
True Baptists ain't Protestants. Easter is pagan idolatry. Lent is for giving the fish markets a trade advantage. Look out for the radioactive iodine. Now what?

The daughters are going back to their mother. See Jude 3,4.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James
 
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