Is Lent for Protestants Too?

Growing up in Protestant churches (Baptist or non-denominational), the practice of Lent was not something I experienced. I saw the mysterious “Ash Wednesday” marked on all the calendars (it's March 5 this year), but I never gave it a thought since it didn’t apply to me. Lent was something the Catholics did, and I disregarded it until I became an adult.

In my early to mid-20s, I began reading blog posts of evangelical Christians that I admired who practiced Lent, and it gave me pause to consider—was this something I should practice as well? Their call to Lent was not one of self-righteous works, but rather one of heart preparation for Easter, much like Advent is for Christmas—an identification with the sufferings of the Savior on His way to the cross.

So, despite our church not formally practicing it, I quietly started an observation of Lent for my own personal journey of faith and have practiced it (fairly consistently) for the past 10 or 11 years.

Is this a wise thing to do? Am I identifying with the works-based religion of Catholicism if I tell people that I observe Lent? What’s the history of Lent anyway? Important questions to ponder as we consider church history and our motivations for wanting to celebrate this season.

History of Lent

I found this excellent article giving a brief history of Lent if you’re interested in a fuller treatment of it. It is true that Lent was primarily a Catholic liturgical holiday, although many Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and Methodists celebrated it, too.

During the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin critiqued Lent as a man-made celebration, “replete with superstition.” Puritan writer John Owen also had issues with it as it seemed to be an outward show of self-denial while not addressing the heart. Similarly, Charles Spurgeon spoke out against it in the late 1800s, saying that Lent was a “tradition of man.”

Far be it from me to argue with such faithful ministers of God’s Word! I agree with them that the tradition of Lent for centuries was most likely an outward show for those practicing it. But I do believe there can be redemption of such “man-made traditions” if one is sincerely seeking to honor God with the observance.

In recent years, our church has gone back to embracing elements of a liturgical service, and I appreciate our pastors’ guiding words as we’ve done so. They’ve reminded us that any church service or tradition can become a mindless ritual, or it can be a framework that helps our hearts worship God better.

And this is what the author of the aforementioned article says in regard to Lent: “In a time that some call the ‘post-Christian era,’ many evangelicals have gained a new appreciation for the Church Liturgical Calendar, and for a season to reflect on their need for the cross and to prepare their hearts to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.” This is exactly what drew me to start celebrating Lent myself several years ago.

A Time of Fasting

The most traditional element of Lent is that a person has to choose something to give up for the 40 days prior to Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday. This is to help one’s heart identify not only with Christ’s 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, but also with His suffering leading up to His death on the cross.

This is also the ritualistic aspect of Lent that led to people following the “letter of the law” but not thinking about its significance to their hearts.

Jesus had strong words about fasting and how people should go about it.

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

Thus, fasting for Lent should never be a public affair, but rather a private one between you and the Lord. Over the years, during Lent, I’ve fasted from sweets, social media, and more, but I’ve done my best to limit talking about it in order to keep the focus on the Lord, not on myself.

Some years the fasts have been more impactful than others. But inevitably, there comes a time during the 40-day fasting when my heart longs for the trifle I’ve cut out of my life, and it points me back to the ultimate goal—leaning into Christ more and away from my flesh.

A Time of Reflection

Some years I’ve been better at reflecting on the Calvary story during Lent than others, but heart preparation should be the ultimate goal of this season. The times when I’ve spent intentional time reading the Gospel accounts and writing poetry or other reflections about it are the times when I’ve grasped the meaning of the Gospel most clearly.

This is what sets apart a true celebration of Lent versus one that’s observing a “man-made holiday.” Refraining from something for a set period of time might seem easy for some. What might not be so easy is taking that time to immerse yourself in Scripture and pray that the Lord would make the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice stunningly clearer to you.

That time, though, is completely worth it when you come to Resurrection Sunday, and your heart is flooded with a deeper joy and gratitude than ever before for what Christ accomplished on your behalf.

Lent isn’t something that makes a Christian more spiritual or holy than others. But it’s just one more means of drawing our hearts more purposefully back to the cross on a yearly basis.

And for that, I will be grateful.

Lydia Kinne

Lydia is a teacher, poet, and blogger, who serves various ministries here at Faith. You can read more of her writing and subscribe to her blog at lydiakinne.com.

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