After an evening of hitting the books, sophomore communications major Tessa Myers found herself at In-N-Out Burger enjoying a hamburger (animal style) and an order of fries. This was more than the typical late night meal run by a hungry college student. For Myers, it would be her last time eating meat for the next six weeks.
Myers is one of a number of Biola students who are joining Christians around the world in observing the season of Lent, which began last Wednesday.
Lent is a Christian tradition dating back to the early church based on Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. For Christians, it’s a season of preparing their hearts and minds for Christ’s death and resurrection. The ancient Lenten custom is to participate in a vegan fast where believers give up all meat and dairy for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Catholics follow a similar model, but are only required to abstain from meat each Friday of Lent, as well as complete fasts on the first day – Ash Wednesday – and Good Friday.
Although Lent is a part of the church year for all Christians, it is associated mainly with Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox churches and is not widely observed among Protestants. But this is beginning to change.
Redeemer Church of La Mirada, a non-denominational congregation with Baptist affiliations, is celebrating Lent for their third year in a row.
“It was part of an overall decision on the part of our pastor and church to observe more of the Christian calendar,” said David Burrows, music and worship pastor at Redeemer.
“It’s a way for us as a church to emphasize for a period the spiritual disciplines and also prepare for the coming celebration of Easter,” he said. “Lent really emphasizes prayer, fasting, and simplicity of living.” Redeemer is offering special Lent services each Sunday morning that focus on confession, repentance, and prayer.
Though not a liturgical church, Burrows said they have chosen to follow the Lectionary readings which incorporate scripture from various parts of the Bible centered on a common theme.
The church is also encouraging its members to individually engage in spiritual disciplines, though leadership reminded the congregation that the celebration of Lent is a church tradition, not a Biblical mandate.
The temptation to substitute ritual for the redeeming work of Christ is the main reason why Protestants have largely chosen not to observe Lent in the past.
David Horner, biblical studies professor, agrees that when divorced from the appropriate context Lent “can easily become meaningless tradition.” But he also points out that just because we are saved by grace does not mean spiritual disciplines and corporate traditions don’t have meaning for evangelicals.
“There is a lot of value to church traditions as long as you don’t think it will earn your salvation,” he said.
“We don’t tend to think outside the box unless something forces us to,” he added. “It helps us get out of our lives and think about how our faith interplays with life.”
This is the view shared by Biola students who are challenging themselves to use Lent as a time of personal examination and growing closer to God.
In addition to not eating meat, Myers is also choosing to give up Facebook for the next six weeks. When she had to stop herself from automatically checking her Facebook profile on the first night of Lent, she instead used that time to read the Bible.
“I am going to try every time I want to get on Facebook to spend some time in the Word, and when I want meat, to pray,” she said.
This principle of replacing the thing you’re giving up with renewed commitment to a spiritual activity is a concept central to Lent.
“It’s not so much what you’re saying no to, but what you’re saying yes to,” explained freshman journalism major Alyssa Diaz.
In this way, Lent is marked not only by acts of self-denial, but also by acts of charity. Freshman film major Faith Brown is incorporating this perspective in her observation of Lent. Brown is participating in the 40 Days of Water project where she will give up every drink except water during Lent and donate the money she would have spent on those drinks to the organization Blood: Water Mission in support of clean water in Uganda.
Brown is yet another evangelical who is bringing Lent into a modern context.
“I think it’s an interesting tradition and I really like it,” she said. “I probably would give up something even if there wasn’t Lent.”
At the end of the next six weeks, Biola students will return to their regular lives. Brown will once again be able to drink her eight cups of coffee a day and Myers will eat a hamburger and enjoy the benefits of Facebook. But, along with all the other Christians who have gone through the season of Lent, they will do so with a fresh perspective.
