A Time for Lent ... Not Lint

Today we begin the first full week of the season of Lent, a time on the church calendar that leads up to Easter.

First, let’s make sure of the word we’re saying. We’re talking about “Lent” in the church, not “lint” in my dryer (which there always seems to be plenty of since our 13-year-old doesn’t seem to remember how to empty the filter). But I digress …

Lent (which comes from the Latin word Quadragesima, or fortieth) takes place during the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) and is one of the oldest observations on the Christian calendar. The observance of Lent has changed over the years, but it’s still a season of fasting, self-denial, spiritual growth, conversion, and simplicity.

Here are a few nuggets of Lent history:

• Early church father Irenaus of Lyons (c.130-c.200) wrote about this type of season in the earliest days of the church. Back then it lasted only two or three days, not the 40 observed today.

• In 325, the Council of Nicea discussed a 40-day Lenten season of fasting. We don’t know whether its original intent was just for new Christians preparing for baptism, but it soon encompassed the whole Church.

• The earliest fasts of Lent tended to be very strict, allowing one meal a day, and even then meats, eggs, and other indulgences were forbidden. Even today, some people still give up something during Lent, whether it’s a certain type of food (chocolate, coffee, bread, etc.), an activity (watching TV or a favorite TV show, Facebook fun, etc.), or other thing of importance. Some people also make commitments to do more “good” things during Lent (visiting people, volunteering for or giving money to organizations, spending more time in prayer, etc.). Either way, it’s a time for observant to refocus.

• How exactly the churches counted those 40 days varied depending on location. In the East, one only fasted on weekdays. The western church’s Lent was one week shorter, but included Saturdays (but not Sundays). But in both places, the observance was both strict and serious. Only one meal was taken a day, near the evening. There was to be no meat, fish, or animal products eaten.

• Though Lent is still observed in some mainline Protestant denominations, others hardly mention it at all.

The toughest time I had was in my college years when I decided to give up Diet Coke. Granted, it wasn’t fasting, but it seemed like a big sacrifice since I probably drank about 4 DCs a day. It was tough – especially those first few days when I battled the caffeine withdrawal headaches. But I learned some things and am still learning every year.

So what about you? Are you familiar with Lent, and have you ever observed it in some way? We’d love to hear about it.