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Eyeing Easter, © Baptist Center for Ethics 2007 Walking through Lent: All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible © 1989 by the Division A Bible Study with of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Global Baptists The Baptist Center for Ethics is a free-standing network of trained ethicists, ministers and educators, providing resources and services to congregations, clergy and educational institutions. Acacia Students Guide Resources is BCE’s publishing imprint. Eight online adult Sunday school lessons A separate Leaders Guide for Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent: A Bible Study with Global Baptists is available by free download at www.ethicsdaily.com. _____________________________________________________________________________ Acacia Resources, a division of Baptist Center for Ethics Special thanks to Patsy Davis, director, Women’s Department, P.O. Box 150506 Baptist World Alliance, for providing many of the stories about Nashville, Tennessee 37215-0506 global Baptists used in this resource. (615) 627-7766 www.acaciaresources.com Foreword Table of Contents Denton Lotz, general secretary, Baptist World Alliance During the fourth century, the early Church prescribed a 40- Foreword 2 day period of preparation prior to Easter for those who were to be baptized. The rest of the faith community was Introduction 4 also called at this time to repentant prayer, fasting and almsgiving as preparation for the celebration of the resur- Bible Studies rection of Christ. This season of the church year became known as Lent. Create In Me a Clean Heart 6 The discipline of fasting has origins in scripture. The Prepare the Way 11 prophet Isaiah, for example, condemned fasting that sought its own pleasure and issued in quarrels and fighting: “Is not Look Beyond the Here and Now 16 this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, Ask, Seek, Knock 22 and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; Shout for Joy! 28 when you see them naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isa 58:6-7). Invite the Poor 33 In all human endeavors we have a tendency to make rules Depend on God 38 and regulations. Sometimes, though, we lose the reasons behind them, resulting in ritualism. Often religiosity be- Come, Bless the Lord 41 comes a show to impress others. That became the case with fasting, and Jesus reacted against such piety. Appendixes “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypo- crites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others More About Lent 46 that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash Lenten Glossary 47 your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:16-18). Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent www.acaciaresources.com Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent Page 2 Like Isaiah, Jesus called for the kind of fasting that changes alism that seduces our body and soul from true Christian lives and demands justice and concern for the poor and discipleship. needy. Perhaps it will help us begin projects to help the 6 million Jesus was opposed to ritualism without service, worship children in Africa who are orphaned by the tragedy of AIDS. without action and prayers without work for the kingdom. Jesus commanded fasting from the heart that results in Perhaps it will open us to hear the voice of Christ calling us service, action and mission. to be peacemakers. The Didache (The Teachings), one of the instruction books Or, maybe it will give us boldness in declaring the joy of of the early church, instructed Christians to fast on Wednes- salvation in Christ. days and Fridays, not like the hypocrites who fasted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saint Augustine used two Latin words to describe the human dilemma of man over against God. The Latin word In our reaction to the evils of the medieval church, we “uti” means “to use,” and the word “frui” means “to enjoy.” Baptists threw out some customs and traditions that for Augustine reminds us that we are to enjoy God and use centuries were an encouragement to the church to practice things. The tragedy is that humanity too often uses God and holy living, including fasting and the observance of Lent. In enjoys things! Observing Lent and some of the spiritual rejecting such practices, we have sometimes failed to hear disciplines it encourages will keep our eyes off of things their original call for repentance and change of heart. and centered on Christ. The purpose of these Lenten lessons is to cause us to A long time ago, a German friend invited me to the sym- reflect and act upon the call of Christ to serve the world in phony. He told me not to eat all day, but to fast. The reason, which we live. The 40 days of Lent should lead us to repent he said, was that when we fast our ears are more open to where we have failed God and our neighbors and challenge hear the beauty of the music. us to unite as a community of believers to be witnesses of God’s kingdom. In a similar vein, observing the Lenten season prior to Easter enables us to open our ears, bodies and souls to What might this mean for Baptists of the world today? hear more clearly the voice of Christ. Among other things, it should mean a prophetic protest May God grant us the courage to be open to a new spiritual against the consumerism of our materialistic society. While springtime in our lives, to follow Christ more clearly and the rest of the world goes hungry, we are stuffing ourselves love Him more dearly. May that be our prayer during this with things and more things. Lent can give us a new under- time of Lent… for Christ and His kingdom! standing of listening to the call of Christ beyond the materi- Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent www.acaciaresources.com Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent Page 3 Introduction Advent, has become a much anticipated and carefully planned season. “Remember, you are dust,” the minister says as he or she makes the mark of the cross on parishioners’ foreheads on Beginning with Ash Wednesday, a day Auburn, Alabama Ash Wednesday. First Baptist Church pastor Jim Evans says is “devoted to recalling God’s embrace of our humanity,” Christians Generations of Christians have participated in this solemn around the world commence “a 40-day vigil devoted to and deeply meaningful ritual that marks the beginning of the reflection and repentance.” More than giving up something, season of Lent. Very few among them, however, have Lent for Christians is a challenge to reclaim, restore and traditionally been Baptists. renew their faith. Tracing their origins to protest movements that withdrew “During Lent,” says Heather Entrekin, senior pastor of from established Christian traditions, most Baptist Prairie Baptist Church, Prairie Village, Kansas, “we have churches have historically viewed Lent with suspicion and an opportunity to do things, or to stop doing things, that can their neighbors who bore the sign of the cross in ashes on help us pay attention to God and become more open and their foreheads with curiosity. Discussion about Lent was available to God.” likely limited to what bad habit or pleasurable pursuit they would avoid. While Lent encourages some elements of personal intro- spection, it must not stop there. Observing Lent challenges Because their churches have generally rejected the liturgi- us to reorder our priorities and change our values. It causes cal calendar and the more formal worship style it encour- us to recognize and confess the sin in our lives not only as ages, most Baptists have little understanding of the rhyth- individuals, but as communities, cultures and societies. mic seasons of the church year and their meanings. In Personal sins have far-reaching effects, resulting in false forsaking the formal, Baptists have also deprived them- ideologies, harmful structures and destructive patterns that selves of some important tools in the Christian journey. cause suffering for others and block the spread of justice. Lent demands an inside-out change. Things began to change noticeably in the Baptist world when more Baptist churches began observing Advent. It calls us from purely private faith to a faith that shows itself While Lent has taken root less quickly in Baptist soil, it too in actions that work for the good of the community and the has captured the imagination of many Baptists, introducing world. It challenges those of us in positions of power and them to a spiritual discipline they now recognize that they wealth to remember and act on behalf of those who suffer need. from poverty, injustice and violence. Especially for those Baptist churches that use the liturgical We need look no farther than the early experiences of the calendar for worship planning and education, Lent, like Hebrew people and the teachings of Jesus for examples of this kind of living faith. Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent www.acaciaresources.com Eyeing Easter, Walking through Lent Page 4 As the children of Israel made pilgrimages to Jerusalem for improved, he lost weight and he developed deeper bonds religious observances and celebrations, songs helped with his parishioners.