Altarego: Hey, Pewboy, look at the mess you’re making.
Pewboy: I know, but it’s got to be done. I don’t know why calendars have to designate a day to clean out our fireplaces, but there it is plain as day: “Ash Wednesday.”
Altarego: (Looking stunned) You’re kidding, right?
Pewboy: No, look for yourself (pointing to a calendar on the floor beside him). I promise you, it’s there. If you ask me, it would be better to wait until winter is definitely over to clean out your ashes.
Altarego: Oh, boy. Ash Wednesday is when Lent begins!
Pewboy: Sorry to have to tell you this, Pal, but lint appeared a long time before Ash Wednesday.
Altarego: (Exasperated) O.K., my friend, I know this wasn’t included in the Royal Ambassador manual, but according to the traditions of many Christian church groups, including many Baptists, Ash Wednesday occurs on February 25 this year and begins the 40-day period of self-denial and fasting leading up to Easter. This period is called Lent.
Pewboy: Fasting? On most Baptist church calendars the notation for February 25 reads “Prayer Meeting and Wednesday evening meal.” Two things most Baptists don’t talk much about are fasting and gluttony. Maybe you’ve noticed.
Altarego: It’s hard not to. It would appear that a lot of Baptists have decided if they can’t grow the church in numbers, they’ll grow it in pounds.
Pewboy: Hey, no need to get personal! (Consulting his calendar, he began counting and continued) You said Lent is 40 days, but I count 46. Which is it?
Altarego: Good question. Sunday isn’t counted as a fast day, so it’s 40 days not counting Sundays.
Pewboy: O.K., I’m getting interested. (As he spoke, he resumed cleaning the fireplace). Tell me more about Lent and why Christians care about it.
Altarego: It has to do with recognizing Christ’s great sacrifice for us on the cross. They seek to prepare themselves spiritually for the memorial of Good Friday and the celebration of Easter by fasting from certain foods and denying themselves certain pleasures. In a way, they make personal sacrifices as a part of their worship.
Pewboy: Usually when our pastor challenges us to sacrifice it’s because we are behind in our budget. You know, I remember hearing about Lent, but I didn’t know anything about it. I guess since the word Lent isn’t in the Bible, not much was said about it in my church.
Altarego: That’s probably the reason it’s ignored in some churches. But sacrifice is in the Bible. And self-denial. And even fasting.
Pewboy: It sounds as if you think all Christians should celebrate Lent. Is that what you are saying?
Altarego: The real question is not whether all Christians should celebrate Lent. The real question is whether we would be spiritually enriched by engaging in a period of self-denial leading up to the celebration on Resurrection Sunday! Many, many Christians across the globe, out of their devotion to Jesus, will decide to give up something during this Lenten season.
Pewboy: I see your point. I’m thinking maybe I’ll give up watching MTV.
Altarego: Have you ever watched MTV?
Pewboy: Nope, never have. That’s a sacrifice I can live with.
Altarego: You said you saw the point, but I think you missed it anyway. Like most other religious practices, we can go through the motions of self-denial without engaging our hearts in the process. But if it has no meaning and if it doesn’t bring us closer to the Lord, what’s the point?
Pewboy: No, I’m just kidding. I understand. And, truthfully, it makes a lot of sense. I have not been very good at practicing spiritual disciplines. I’m not proud of that and I try to excuse it by saying I’m just too busy. But the truth is I’ve gotten spiritually lazy. I just haven’t made my private worship time a priority. And I need to.
Altarego: You are not alone, of course. Everybody has a tendency to slack off. Maintaining an intimate relationship with Christ through prayer and scripture reading and meditation requires effort. That’s why they are called disciplines. And please note that discipline and disciple come from the same root word. One goes with the other.
Pewboy: I can’t believe I never noticed that before. I really want to focus on Christ. I guess the question now is what will I sacrifice during this time of spiritual preparation? Any suggestions?
Altarego: There are really two parts to the question. The first is, “What do you really enjoy that you can do without?” The other is, “What positive discipline will you establish?”
Pewboy: Well, I could give up some meals and desserts and TV and sports. Whoa, I could give up ESPN for Lent — especially since Sundays don’t count. Sundays are big days on ESPN!
Altarego: Spoken like a true legalist. Remember, you will get out of it what you put into it.
Pewboy: Right. O.K., here’s my list. I won’t watch ESPN for the whole time — even though I may suffer withdrawal during March Madness. I’m giving up desserts and french fries. Missing these things will serve to focus my attention on why I am depriving myself of them. In addition, during the time I would usually watch ESPN, I will have a quiet time with the Lord.
Altarego: Now, that’s a plan.
Pewboy: You know, I’m strangely excited about this. I’ve made some important decisions affecting my spiritual life and I’ve got a clean fireplace to boot! Now if I could only figure out why Easter comes at a different time every year.
Altarego: Oh, I can help you with that as well. The canonical rule is that Easter is the first Sunday after the 14th day of the lunar month that falls on or after March 21, which is usually the vernal equinox . For determining the date, church leaders figured out a way to identify the “ecclesiastical” full moon, rather than observing the true moon. Eastern Orthodox Christians calculate the fixed date of March 21 according to the Julian Calendar rather than the modern Gregorian Calendar, and use an ecclesiastical full moon that occurs four to five days later than the western ecclesiastical full moon. Put simply, Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon date. The Paschal Full Moon date is …
Pewboy: Uh, pardon me. I don’t mean to offend you, but I need my quiet time.