I remember so well when I introduced a Lenten discipline into the lives of some of the folks in my first parish. They handled the Ash Wednesday service, with the imposition of ashes pretty well, especially considering that it was their first. There was only one women who did not participate in that part of the service, telling me afterward that she didn't know why she did not choose to receive ashes, and that she was not opposed to the practice. Later, my wife, who is sometimes a keen observer of such phenomena, privately offered her opinion that the woman in question may have chosen not to participate because the ashes might have landed on the white fur coat that she was wearing.
Even more than the Ash Wednesday service itself was the difficulty some of the folks had with the Lenten study that I offered. We met weekly for a study and to talk about how our individual observances of the Lenten discipline were going. I was not supposed to hear as one woman leaned over to another and whispered, "I can't wait until we're allowed to feel good again!" I realized that I might have overdone it with the emphasis upon ascetic practices during Lent. I was a recent seminary graduate and I may have been a bit too ambitious in my desire to introduce a Lenten discipline to my congregation. Truth be told, I had embarked on a rather rigorous Lenten regimen and I hoped to bring others along with me. Imagine my dismay when I realized that not everyone was as excited about this project as I was.
Here we are, decades later, and many of my students are still surprised when I invite them to our ecumenical Ash Wednesday service on campus. After all, they have heard their local newscasters announce Lent as a "Catholic" observance. Not surprisingly, quite a few Catholics are surprised when they learn that Protestants also observe Lent. But then, many of our Catholic students would be surprised to learn that Ash Wednesday is not a day of holy obligation. As one Catholic colleague once told me, "Why would I burst their bubble and tell them it's not a day of obligation? For some, it's one of the few days during the year that they attend church."
Whether one chooses to observe Lent with a discipline or chooses to observe from a distance, it is a journey that is worth taking, regardless of degree. Lent reminds us of the sojourner characteristic of Christian faith; we are fellow travelers on this odyssey, and God chooses to come along as well. Giving up chocolate (which for some devout people I know is simply out of the question)or observing some other votive act during Lent is optional. Remembering our Lord's desert wanderings is not. I think it is necessary to reflect and meditate on his willingness to spend time alone as he embarked on his ministry, his life's purpose.
After working with college students for the past twenty-two years, I have discovered that many of them want some kind of discipline that makes them go a step further than they feel that they have to when it comes to their faith's journey. They want some aspect of their faith to set them apart, to serve as evidence to them that they are on traversing a deeply spiritual path. There is nothing more gratifying than to watch a young adult willingly struggle with disciplines of faith that are optional or non-existent for many people of the same age. It is because of the energy and sincerity of these young people that I am optimistic that Protestants will catch up with our Catholic brothers and sisters in seeing Lent as a necessary discipline and spiritual experience.
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