Lenten Spiritual Disciplines are NOT Deprivations!

Every year during Lent somebody asks whether we are "supposed to" abstain from meat, chocolate, or other things. And every year, somebody else will ask whether we are "supposed to" fast every day, only on Fridays, or every day but Sunday. In these questions, the most important words are "supposed to," because they reveal a basic misunderstanding of the concept of spiritual disciplines.

Spiritual disciplines are not to be confused with commandments or laws. To break a commandment or a law is to commit transgression or sin. To break a commandment or law is to break our relationship with God and one another. Spiritual disciplines are an entirely different matter. Spiritual disciplines are not those things that we must do in order to have a right relationship with God were one another. Instead, spiritual disciplines are exercises that we take on in order to deepen our own experience of God, and to enhance our ability to follow Jesus: to love him more dearly, see him were clearly, and follow him more nearly day by day. Spiritual disciplines are exercises for the soul, just as aerobics are exercises for the cardiovascular system.

This spiritual discipline most commonly associated with Lent is fasting. Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from something that is normally good for you. Note "voluntary" and "good." It isn't genuine fasting when it's authoritatively required, monitored or enforced by someone over you: that's merely abusive deprivation. Nor is a genuine fasting if it's something you should abstain from anyway, because it is bad for you. Certainly to abandon mean or critical speech during Lent is a good thing, but that's not fasting nor is it a discipline; it's merely following through on our baptismal promises. To rise to the level of genuine fasting, it must be entirely voluntary, chosen and monitored by you alone, and something that is normally good for you when not consumed to excess, such as meat, oils, or wines.

Other common Lenten disciplines might include spiritual reading, reading the Daily Office (including one or more of Daily Morning Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Daily Evening Prayer, Compline), making a pilgrimage, participating in an organized Lenten study, journey keeping, making a retreat, going on a mission, sacrifice, and so on. Many spiritual disciplines are individual and private; Many are communal and public.

Our Annual Lenten Program for 2008 will be an Introduction to Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines. We're calling it "Everything you wanted to know about Lent but were afraid to ask," and includes our annual Lenten Study program, retreats, book suggestions, fellowship opportunities, and special worship services. I’d encourage you to participate in as much as of our program as you would like -- I won't be taking attendance. In order for it to do you any good, your participation must be entirely voluntary, chosen and monitored by you alone

To help get you started, let me recommend the follwing, all available from our online bookstore.


May the Peace of the Lord be with you!