Today is Wednesday

Terry Johnson wrote, “Presbyterians make poor Anglicans” (Serving with Calvin, 325). I would add that we make poor Roman Catholics. Yet, over the past decade, there has been a rise in the celebration of Lent, and particularly, “Ash Wednesday” in PCA churches. I find this fascinating. Even as excellent work has been done documenting the late invention of Ash Wednesday services in Protestantism, the practice seems to grow every year: (https://adfontesjournal.com/steven-wedgeworth/no-ashes-to-ashes-an-anglican-history-of-ash-wednesday/).

Instead of this being a negative article about why we do not celebrate Ash Wednesday or Lent at the Kirk. I want to focus on the positive. We do not celebrate this season because it isn’t a season; it is the Christian life. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1438 (Under the section titled: “The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation”), “The Seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).” These are works considered above and beyond the normal demands of the Christian life what theologians have often referred to as “works of supererogation.”
Lent is associated with giving up good things God has given us. I’ve heard people say, “I am giving up sweets for Lent” or “I am fasting from Social Media.” Both are fine, but is the motivation to spend time with the Lord or simply deprive yourself of something you enjoy in excess, giving you the veneer of piety? What did Jesus say? “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Paul told us to put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). We are called daily to penance and reconciliation. It should be the mark of the Christian to daily cry out to Christ for forgiveness of our sins and receive the grace of reconciliation through his heavenly intercession (Hebrews 7:25). We may have occasion to fast for great calamities like in Esther’s day (Esther 4:16) or to spend intentional, but short time, devoted to prayer (1 Cor. 7:5). It is not as if fasting is wrong, but it can be abused. Lent seems to be a season of performative repentance. We are called to powerful repentance every day.

As you go about on this ordinary Wednesday, especially if you live in a Catholic dominated city like I do, there is no need to be embarrassed that your head is not marred with ashes. You may have confidence that your Father in heaven forgives you whenever you confess your sins (1 John 1:9). The Son lives to make daily intercession for you (Heb. 7:25). The Spirit will help you put to death the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13). If you do these Lenten things daily, you will find you do not need an invented season to remind you that the Lord calls you to be holy as He is holy.