<> Ask the Pastor Fr. Walter Snyder Q: What should I give up for Lent? A: This is actually a question I ask of myself. To understand it better, we can look first at what Lent is. In the calendar of the Church, the forty week days (Sundays not included) before Easter are known as Lent. This word comes from Germanic and Old English roots. Literally, it means "long day," a recognition of winter's close and the sun's warmth returning. What's special about Lent? Easter! The Church's highest holiday has been given the longest preparation time. Yet how we treat the season varies among church bodies and individual believers. Those who do not observe a formal church calendar treat the time of Lent as they do any other part of the year. For those who keep the traditional times and seasons, Lent is generally thought of as a time of individual and corporate penance, reflection, or instruction. Whatever the specifics, Lent serves the general purpose of leading the Church out of the celebration of the Word becoming Flesh at Christmas and the spread of the Light of the World during the Epiphany season. It sharpens our focus on the specifics of Jesus' words and deeds as He takes away the sins of the world. It is the path that leads each year "up to Jerusalem" with Jesus. There, "He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will make fun of Him and insult Him, spit on Him, whip Him, and kill Him. (Luke 18:31-33)" During the early days of the Church, various schedules were followed each year as believers began to make ready for Easter and the celebration of the Resurrection. Finally, forty days, commemorating the 40 days of Christ's fasting and being tempted in the Wilderness, was settled on. These days also remind us of our "pilgrim" status here on earth, just as Israel wandered in the desert for forty years prior to entry into the Promised Land. They call to mind divine judgment, as in the rain that fell for 40 days and 40 nights in the time of Noah. Yet over all, they remind us that God sustains and strengthens His people, since He fed and preserved His people in the wilderness, protected Noah's family and representative creatures in the Ark, and strengthened His Son to resist the tempter during His fast. Many Christians still observe some form of fasting during all or part of Lent. They may give up some pleasurable activity for this time, or may take on an added responsibility. All of these can be God-pleasing if done to honor Him and to heighten awareness of all He has done for us. Error creeps in if we think that God is forcing us to do something in order to please Him, to gain forgiveness, or to pay Him back. Through Christ, God is already pleased with us, has already forgiven us, and can never be repaid for all His lovingkindness. Each of these may help in self-discipline, especially fasting and refraining from something we normally do that is pleasurable. As a matter of course, I usually pick one day each week to not eat during daylight hours. Friday is customary, since it was on a Friday that Jesus died to pay for our sins. This year, I'm also "fasting" from my truck. It appears that the upcoming forty days of extra pastoral duties, church services, and the like scared it into some sort of automotive seizure. Now it looks like I'll be giving up a bit more, in order to get a set of wheels under myself again. This is yet another sign of an imperfect, wearing-down world. Lent sharpens this focus, also. We are reminded by the Word of God that this is not our true home. Rather, we are on a pilgrimage to the place our Savior is preparing for us. We often are called upon to give up those things that slow us down or drag us off the paths of righteousness. The Lenten season helps us to prepare for these times. I could give up this column for the next few weeks, because it is a source of pleasure. However, it is also an exercise in discipline, since I have a deadline. And it is a way of sharing my Savior with thousands of people. No, I guess I'll go back to not eating on Friday. Maybe I'll swear off hamburgers on the other days. There's just not much discipline involved in giving up chocolate-covered okra. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.