How to find a Good Church (Church Search Helps)

I would argue that being committed to a good local church is foundational to one's walk with Christ. We were saved to be part of a body, a community. We are not the "church" alone; not without other believers to meet with, grow alongside of and learn from. We need others to walk this Christian walk, we were not meant to go it alone. Paul specifically tells believers he is writing to that they should not be "giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb 10:25). If you've been in not-good churches, or even been hurt by people in a church, don't give up looking for a good one!

First, I should probably define what a "good" church is.  Excluding specific secondary doctrinal issues, here's what you want to be looking for in a good church:

1. Expositional Preaching. This means that the preaching almost always is structured so that it goes through a book of the Bible verse by verse and carefully dissects and explains the text for the purpose of teaching and instructing the congregation accurately. Good preaching also interprets Scripture based on the rest of Scripture, not primarily presuppositions or assumptions or only looking at one text alone.

2. Biblical Theology. This may differ depending on how you interpret Scripture on some secondary issues (ex. baptism), but the point is, the church needs to be rooted in theology that is defensibly Biblical and orthodox.

3. Biblical understanding of the Gospel. The Gospel message should be clear and not watered down. A clear, Biblical explanation of sin, Christ's atonement and the need for repentance and faith are central to a healthy church.

4. Biblical understanding of Conversion. This goes in part with the last point; a church can present a fairly clear gospel and yet still have a muddled view of conversion and what it really means to become a Christian, which is really important. 

5. Biblical understanding of evangelism. Basically, we're supposed to be doing it, but the way we do it also matters. Is the church winning people to their church, to their programs, or to truly following Christ? This is why the previous point is also really important.

6. Biblical understanding of Church membership. Belonging and being committed to a local community of believers is really important for accountability, relationships and building community (see next two points).

7. Biblical church discipline. This really can't be practiced well without the last point. Holding church members accountable, correcting and rebuking if needed is important for a healthy church. 

8. Promotion of church discipleship and growth. It's not a healthy church if people aren't growing in their faith practically in daily life and in their understanding of Scripture. We should also be growing relationally, growing in what it means to love others. Church is more than Sunday morning, the church should be at least seeking to grow it's members with Bible study and discipleship opportunities as well as fostering relationships/community outside of Sunday mornings.

9. Biblical understanding of Church leadership. The Biblical model for church leadership is a plurality of elders/pastors. This is not as common today as it should be, but it is ideal for a healthy church. (Note that some churches/pastors view this as important and desire to move in this direction but it takes qualified men and often time to be able to make this happen.) At the very least the church should have a pastor/leaders who are faithful and committed to Scripture,

Credit for these points goes to 9Marks Ministries, for more on these points see this article.  

 

Here are the links I share when people are looking for a church: 

Master's Seminary Alumni church finder. This is an excellent, solid seminary and graduates of here would be assumed to be leaders of likewise solid and healthy churches: https://tms.edu/find-a-church/

9Marks has a database/church finder with churches that meet these 9 qualifications: https://www.9marks.org/church-search/

Of course there's more churches out there that would also meet the qualifications but for various reasons are not on these sites, and you should also keep in mind that there are still churches in there that are healthier than others based on how important they view these things or how well they do them - which can make a big difference. 

 

When checking out a church, here's some tips:

1. Look for a church website.

a) You're particularly looking for their statement of faith and other statements/documents like "church mission" or "what we value". How clear is it, and what do they stand for that's also important to you? (I always look for a clear and more specific statement of faith, some churches statements are more vague which, to me, can be an indication of something lacking.)

b) Most websites will have information on the pastor(s)/leadership team so you can learn a bit about them. Where the pastor(s) went to seminary or their past experience can be an indication of the kind of church it will be. Not always of course, but it can be telling. Denominational or church affiliation can be really helpful as well.

c) Look for online sermons, or even a livestream that you could watch. This can give you a great feel for the church before you actually visit. Obviously, a church is going to be different in-person, but watching a service online will let you know what they value about a church service, a general feel for the "church culture", the kind of music/songs/lyrics they are using to teach the congregation (which can sometimes be telling), the leadership and preaching style, and a whole lot more. If there's no livestream, then listen to some sermons (I usually recommend listening to at least 2 in case for some reason a particular sermon just wasn't that good that week). 

d) Websites also usually have information on other ministries in the church. Do they do small groups, Bible Study or prayer meetings? Adult and children's education/Sunday school? Outreach? What other ministries do you value for your family? (ex. youth group, Awana-type kids ministry, mens/ladies Bible studies.) Some churches may not have much going on outside of Sunday's - for various reasons, some out of their control. But at least some of these are pretty valuable and should at least be areas the church leadership desires to grow in... mainly because they help a great deal in fostering relationships and discipleship. 

2. Visit in-person. And visit more than once! (It's always good to give a church a second chance unless you're very sure it's not for you).

a) Assuming you think the 9 Marks are already met, look for a sense of community. Friendliness is not an indication of community. Lots of churches have friendly people, but it doesn't always go beyond that. Do the people there seem to genuinely care about each other? About you? Do people just casually talk or does there seem to be deeper, more meaningful conversations happening? Church is much deeper than a service on Sunday mornings, it's supposed to be a community, a family.

b) Intentionally meet some of the members, and the pastor, his wife, and/or other leaders. Have some questions to ask them about the church, ministries, etc. Here's some great questions: "What do you value about this local church?" "Where do you see the need for growth in this local church?" "What needs does this church have?" "In what ways have you been blessed by the church here?" 

Good churches can be hard to find! Pray, pray, pray as you look for one. If you can't find one, move or consider starting one!

Home Sweet Homebirth: Daniel Alan's Birth Story

The original plan for this home birth was to have it at my mom’s house, because she has a nice jacuzzi tub in a lovely master bedroom suite – and that’s where my daughter was born two years ago. My mom had everything all ready for us there, but this little guy, like his older brother apparently, didn’t want to follow our plans for location. We had also hoped for Tuesday 8/9 for the birth because of some work-related things of my husband’s, but baby decided that he also liked having the same month and day for a birthday – again like his brother – and came a day early (2 days before due date).

 

Sunday (the day before) was a busy day! We went to a picnic with Faith Baptist where Mommy’s nephew got baptized and we went swimming in the lake. Big sister Liberty was making Mommy be pretty active with her love of the water. We had ice cream for dinner because it was really hot out and apparently it ended up being out last outing as a family of 4! That evening while getting out of the shower, I slipped just a bit pulling some muscle between my legs. That was rather painful and left me wondering if/how it would affect labor. Not sure if it did trigger something or not, but just before 1am on Monday morning, I had what they call “the bloody show”. Contractions started shortly after, but I tried going back to bed to get some sleep… after calling the midwife to let her know the status. Mild contractions continued, but they were 7-10 minutes apart so I didn’t think too much of it (and didn’t want to bother people in the middle of the night!). I dozed some and around 6am I got up after the contractions seemed to be getting more intense (but were still consistently about 10 minutes apart). Almost immediately, the contraction pace picked up to 3-4 minutes apart. When I text updated the midwife and said I thought we should definitely leave for my mom’s, she called me and said “we’re going to come to you, you should go lay down”. So I did. Contractions slowed a little and gave us time for her and her assistant (Sue) to both get there around 7:30-7:45AM. I had called my sister (Auntie Alicia) around 6:30 who came over to help get Liberty and Keller up and then she took them to her house (thanks sis!!!!)

 

Daniel was born at 8:59AM, after me pushing for about a half an hour. He came out in one final push, fairly fast, and cried right away! It’s such an amazing feeling seeing/holding your baby after all that hard work! His cord was pretty short, so he was next to me until it stopped pulsing. Once it was cut he was on my chest. After the placenta came out a bit later, I did have some mildly serious bleeding that the midwives managed fairly quickly and successfully (but I did have to get two shots and extra pushing on my tummy for the next half hour-hour to make sure I wasn’t still unusually bleeding inside). None of that was fun at all, and my poor husband got a bit scarred by it, but everything ended up fine! Because of that I was also a little weaker for the next day or so, but by the end of the 2^nd day was feeling pretty good! A week later, I'm feeling pretty good except for tension in my back/neck that gives me headaches (chiropractor visit today hopefully will help), and my blood pressure is still a bit on the high side so I'm trying to rest as much as possible. Midwife is still checking on Daniel and I for another 5 weeks so I feel quite supported during this season.

 

Daniel weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces, 21.75 inches long - my smallest baby by far... my other two were both over 8 pounds! I had rather hoped for a small baby and I got one! He’s so little! He was a rather uninterested eater the first two days… it took him a little bit to figure out that nursing was now how he was supposed to be fed, so it took quite a bit of time and patience nursing, especially through that first night and second day. You forget how hard it can be when they are so little and learning to nurse. But he figured it out and is turning into a champ! A week old and he's back up and over his birth weight!

 

On realizing we weren’t going to make it to my mom’s, I was slightly disappointed to not get a water birth, but in the end 1) we didn’t have to go anywhere which was nice, and 2) we didn’t have to travel home/going anywhere after having him either! As hard work as natural birth is, I’m a big advocate of it, and of home births. It was so sweet to be in our own room and home and have midwives there to help take care of us/things and avoid so many interruptions by nurses and extra people and who knows what else. I was able to just lay in my own bed holding my baby until I was ready to hand him over for his newborn check, and just stay there.

 

I felt very weak going into this birth, for various reasons. I’ve dealt with a bit more anxiety/fear this time and prayed a lot for God’s strength, through the delivery especially. I was given the strength I prayed for. I am also so thankful for such a helpful husband and a supportive family who’s helping us in various ways these first days and weeks, and friends who have offered meals/help. Big brother Keller was a bit confused at first that “baby brother” was no longer in my belly but is quite sweet about his arrival. Big sister Liberty could pretty much care less, and is mostly ignoring him. Haha! It will be a bit of an adjustment for her as she’s been very much a Mommy’s girl, but she’s already getting used to spending more time with Daddy so that’s sweet too. I’ve been rather apprehensive of going to 3 kids, but I know we will adjust and have a “new normal”. God will continue to give grace and strength.

 

Why we chose his name: Names and their meaning are important to us so we prayed and waited for the name we thought our son should have.

DANIEL: His name means "God is my Judge", and he is named after the man of great wisdom, faith and courage in the Bible. The name felt special as it seemed to almost come to Mike, waking him up in the middle of the night, even though it would not have normally been one of his picks. When he talked to me the next day, I told him that I’d actually been thinking a lot about that name too even though we hadn’t discussed it! I’ve always liked the name but didn’t think I’d really end up using it because it’s more common. But we’re very happy with his name.

ALAN: Alan is the name of his paternal grandfather and we are glad to honor him in this way. There are various opinions on the meaning of the name; the Gaelic origin means "handsome, cheerful" (and we certainly hope he's both of these characteristics!), but we also like the Celtic meaning which is "little rock; harmony, peace".

 

"For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is He who will save us." (Isaiah 33:22)

 

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

 

 

Major Views on Baptism

When you start looking into specifics, it is rather astonishing how many different views there are on the subject of Christian baptism. It’s actually a little disheartening that there’s so many different views since we should hope that Christians would agree more on important doctrines like this one, but here we are. In this post I have laid out a summary of each of the major positions trying not to show (much) bias. These are just the major ones, there are often variations within each group as well. Each group will appeal to Scripture for support and often many of the same Scriptures, some better than others, but the real difference in the views usually comes down to Biblical interpretation, which is why figuring out how to properly interpret Scripture is so important. Everyone is prone to interpret Scripture in light of their own denomination or church tradition and being able to break out of that and look at Scripture with fresh eyes is super important. We should never just believe something because our church or pastor or tradition teaches it.

A few things to keep in mind as we think about baptism and it's relationship to salvation: Scripture talks about believers as those who have been saved (past tense, usually referring to conversion), who are being saved (present tense) and who will be saved (future tense). In the discussion of baptism, “conversion” is rather central to the argument and whether that comes before baptism, after baptism, or during or partially through baptism. The discussion comes down to these two key questions: What does it mean to be in the New Covenant? And when/how does God change the heart and give new life to someone?

I did not cite Scriptures in each view since again most views will use the same Scriptures to defend their view. Key verses on baptism used by most or all groups in their defense are: Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:1-41; 8:36-39; 16:30-33, Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:11-12, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21, I have discussed many of these Scriptures and more in a previous post here.

 

Major Views on Baptism:

 

Symbolic-Only Credo-Baptist View: Baptism is the proper response to God’s grace in salvation through faith and repentance. It is an act of obedience through faith, and an initiation into the church. It symbolizes and demonstrates the death and resurrection of the soul through the death and resurrection of Christ. It is a visible sign and seal of the person’s entrance into the visible church and a confirmation to those witnessing it of the individual’s faith and repentance. Thus, baptism should only be given to professing believers. Baptism is not a "means of grace" it is strictly symbolic, and a testimony to one's conversion. It is not essential for someone to be considered "saved," however, as it is commanded by Christ/Scripture, true believers should be obedient to the Lord’s command.

Here’s a longer explanation on this view: https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-baptism.html

 

Low-sacramental/Reformed Credo-Baptist view: This view is very similar to the last, but slightly different and views it as a little more important. Baptism is the proper response to God when He has converted the heart and brought about faith and repentance. It is an act of obedience through faith, and an initiation into the church. It symbolizes and demonstrates the death and resurrection of the soul through the death and resurrection of Christ. Thus, baptism should only be given to professing believers. Furthermore, (and this is what distinguishes this view from a strict symbol view) Christ (and the Holy Spirit) are spiritually present in the act of Baptism and thus it is also a “means of grace” and an opportunity for spiritual blessing/encouragement. It is a visible sign and seal of the person’s entrance into the visible church, a confirmation to those witnessing it of the individual’s faith and repentance, and a grace-filled, powerful reminder of their position in Christ. While this view sees Baptism as more than just a physical act and more accurately as also a spiritual one that Christ meets us in in a rather mysterious way, baptism does not bestow forgiveness, wash away sin, or put the person "into" Christ. It is Christ that accomplished our forgiveness/justification on the cross, and new life/adoption is bestowed upon us the moment we believe by the Holy Spirit. Baptism could be considered the culmination of the "salvation experience," but it is not “essential” in the sense that one can temporarily or ignorantly delay their baptism and still be considered saved. However, it is commanded, and true believers must be obedient to the Lord’s commands to have true assurance of their salvation and for admission of their "official" membership in the visible Church. Like a wedding where the witnesses give their testimony to what has occurred, baptism is an important moment where the individual is outwardly joined with the visible church. While baptism can be said to “save” (lower case “s” referring to our ongoing salvation) or be an “effectual” means of grace, baptism doesn’t “save” (justify) us or put us "into Christ". It is meaningful and important, but still largely a symbol and outward sign of the work God has already accomplished internally.

Longer discussion and Q&A here: https://www.eng.auburn.edu/~sjreeves/personal/baptism_faq.html

 

Presbyterian/Low Anglican View: Baptism is “a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, or one’s ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of one’s giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life.” (WCF) Baptism is the act of God bringing a person into the Covenant family. In addition to adult believers, children of believers should also be baptized. Like circumcision in the OT brought children of Israelites into the Covenant, so baptism also brings the children of believers into the visible church and the New Covenant. By itself it is incomplete. It is an outward sign that must be completed/fulfilled through personal faith and repentance. Therefore, baptism is not a guarantee of regeneration or salvation, faith and repentance must (eventually) be evident. Baptism is required to be considered a Christian but one can be saved prior to being baptized.

The Presbyterian view is based largely on the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) here: https://www.creeds.net/Westminster/c28.htm  

For the official Anglican position see below.

(These last 3 views are the most controversial, and [in my opinion] the furthest from Scripture.)

Efficacious Church-of-Christ View: Man’s response to God in salvation is six-fold: Hear the Word, Believe, Repent of sin, Confess faith in Christ, Be baptized, Be faithful to the end. Baptism is but one aspect of the being saved. Furthermore, baptism is the “occasion of salvation,” the moment that God brings a person into Christ, into His body, His Church. It is not a work that we do, rather it is God’s work in which He washes away our sin, gives the Holy Spirit and bestows new life. Baptism is absolutely necessary for one to be a Christian and be saved. Therefore, baptism should only be given to those who make a profession of faith and should be administered with no delay.

Depending on who you talk to, some COC folks will say that one may still go to Heaven if they die on the way to their baptism, but others will say that God would not allow a genuine believer to die before being baptized (thus that person would be lost). However, all would agree that if a professing Christian delays their baptism for any reason they cannot be considered saved.

See a longer defense of this view here: http://www.christianlandmark.com/the-church-of-christ-teaches-the-truth-on-baptism/

 

Sacramental High Anglican/Lutheran view: Baptism is a means of grace whereby God gives or cultivates the gift of faith and graciously bestows new life on the individual, bringing them into his family. It works forgiveness of sin and eternal life for all who believe. Baptism should thus be administered to believing adults or children of believers. Although baptism kindles God’s grace and turns our hearts towards God, it does not necessarily “convert” our heart. God’s work in baptism may be resisted because for baptism to truly be beneficial, it must be combined with a personal profession of faith (will be later if they are baptized as an infant) and continued faith and obedience, otherwise the baptism becomes ineffective. We should look to what God did in our baptism and trust His ability to save us. Most would believe that one can ignorantly delay baptism and still be saved, but their salvation may still be questioned. This view also usually believes that the grace given in baptism can be lost, and the person baptized be unsaved.

The “official” Anglican position on baptism in the 39 Articles is rather vague. Some Anglicans hold to this higher sacramental view, for others, it’s more a “sign and a seal” (similar to Presbyterian above). For a more thorough explanation see: https://anglicancompass.com/holy-baptism/

The main difference of Lutheranism from Anglicanism is that Lutherans believe infants can actually have faith and that baptism cultivates that faith. The official Lutheran position is largely based on Luther’s shorter catechism: “[Baptism] works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe”. The official Lutheran position believes in security of the elect, and while they believe baptism does "work forgiveness" they will also say that baptismal grace can be lost if the person does not continue to believe. Further Lutheran explanation: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/what-is-the-lutheran-view-of-baptism/

 

Sacramental Roman Catholic View: Baptism is a means of grace whereby God cleanses one of original and previously committed sin. Faith is not given at baptism, rather the faith of the parents sustains them until confirmation. Thus, those baptized must be confirmed later when the child is older for it to be truly effective. Baptism is to be administered to infants or professing adults for forgiveness of original sin without which there is no entrance into Heaven.

Catholic explanation: https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/a-guide-to-catholic-baptism/

A few observations from this study: In case you didn't already know, I personally am convinced of the Reformed Credo-Baptist position. Baptism is very important and special and there is "grace" given in it, but it is still completely separate from conversion and, other than being a spiritually encouraging/enriching experience, and an affirmation/witness of one's acceptance into the visible church, it does not change anything spiritually. Every other view in this post falls short of what I see Scripture teaching and/or adds to it in some way.

-It is interesting to note that the more "sacramental" one gets, the more (conscious) personal faith is separated from baptism. And the more unique spiritual conversion is blurred and ultimately eliminated altogether. Baptism becomes something done in order to attain forgiveness, which completely distorts the Gospel message.

-Also, the more sacramental you go, the more baptism becomes what "makes" someone a member of the New Covenant, or even a "Christian", and, the more likely it is that they could lose that status. At the very least, "baptismal grace" can be lost and thus the meaning/symbolism of baptism is ultimately lost. 

-When it comes to Infant Baptism, faith and/or salvation is often assumed unless it is not confirmed, the individual rejects their baptism, or they show themselves to be unrepentant. In keeping with this, there is sometimes not a clear calling of the child to personal saving faith in Christ and their need for salvation/conversion. There may be a call to "keep their baptism vows," the need to be confirmed, or something like that, but especially the more sacramental you get, the less there is a call or an emphasis on the need for conversion.  My biggest concern with infant baptism is exactly this, and it's one way the Old Covenant failed: If they are already part of the "covenant community" what need is there for conversion? The New Covenant is better than the old - those that are in it, are truly saved not just quasi-members. You cannot be a member of Christ by birth or by baptism. Let's make one thing clear: One is united with Christ by the Spirit and by the Spirit alone. No circumcision or water baptism needed. To deny this is to deny basic Biblical teaching on justification. Furthermore, if baptism ingrafts one into Christ or into the New Covenant, it minimizes (or even destroys) the deep symbolism and meaning of baptism and ultimately, what Christ has accomplished for His people.

 

P.S. I highly recommend this sermon series by James White on this subject. It goes through all the various Scriptures and arguments.

Reading List: Voddie Baucham, Lysa Terkeurst & more

 Finished since last post:

 

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortland

 

This was a really precious book. It highlights the love and grace not just of Christ, but of the Father and the Holy Spirit. It was so encouraging and Scripture-saturated. Highly recommend, it was so encouraging!

 

Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham

 

Critical Race Theory and Social Justice are taking over not just academics but churches as well. What do these terms actually mean? Should Christians support these ideas? How should Christians respond to social and racial issues? Voddie has carefully researched this topic and also speaks from experience as a black man and from his position as a pastor/theologian. A MUST read for the current culture we are in.

 

Read more/get it here: https://www.voddiebaucham.org/fault-lines/

 

 

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst

 

This was a really, really good book. Extremely good for anyone struggling with hardship in life whether it’s health, finances, relationships or anything else. Lysa writes from personal experience in trials and suffering and what God has taught and shown her through it. Rich in Scripture and practical application (each chapter closes with a review of key points, Scripture and reflection questions) this book was a real blessing and encouragement to me. I would love to go through it with a group of women one day, it would make a fantastic study.

LENT: Yes, No or Maybe So?

Historical Background: 

Lent refers to the 40 days leading up to Easter beginning with Ash Wednesday (but excludes Sunday’s). It is celebrated not just by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Anglicans but also many Reformed and various other Protestant denominations, although most of the latter aren’t as traditional and don’t do anything for Ash Wednesday.  

The word “Lent” is an Anglo-saxon word that means “spring”, but the idea of Lent originally came from a Latin word meaning “forty”. The 40 days is (supposedly) symbolic of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (although how this exactly relates to preparing for baptism or repentance I’m not really so sure). There is some evidence that there was a springtime pagan festival that lasted 40 days and many think that as the area was Christianized that the festival was transformed into a period of preparing for Easter. This could certainly be “a” reason, but I would not go so far as to say it’s the only one, nor is it reason enough to write it off. (Some people also think Easter was connected to a pagan holiday for the goddess Eoster. That certainly could explain the name we give the day today, but in Scripture, Resurrection Sunday [the term some prefer for beforementioned reason] was clearly the Sunday following Passover and thus we celebrated it at that time.)

The Lenten season dates back to the late 300’s where, after the conversion of Constantine and the legalization/encouragement of Christianity there were many new people coming into the Church. With the dramatic increase of seekers, the Church found itself needing a way to “vet” the newcomers to be sure of their seriousness and commitment to Christ.  (Prior to this the commitment of someone to baptism in a culture that persecuted Christians was enough!) There are some traces of the idea prior to this around the Easter season (looking forward to the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection and being more focused on the idea of death to sin/self and new life in Christ) but the 40 days and the various things that went along with it were put into place quite a bit later. Originally, these preparation days (it wasn’t 40 days in every area, but it became unified over time) were specifically designed for new converts who were preparing for baptism (that would take place on Easter Sunday). For x-number of days they were required to focus on repentance and confession of sin (acts of penance were later added), death to sin and self (which was practiced by various forms of fasting) along with doing various good works/acts of service in order to show/prove their repentance of their old way of life and their desire to live for Christ.

It then somewhat gradually became an opportunity for baptized believers to also take the season to prepare for remembering Easter, reflecting on their sin, fasting in different ways, growing in repentance and their need for Christ for life/deliverance from sin. The liturgy for Lent is certainly beautiful and filled with Scripture on repentance, and our desperate need for God’s forgiveness and mercy.

 

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Catholic/Orthodox/High Anglican churches will have Mass (church service with communion) and will utilize ashes, making a cross sign with them on the forehead that often then is symbolically washed off on Easter Sunday.  Ashes symbolize death, and Easter obviously is the celebration of the resurrection (and thus our new life in Christ). Not all lower Anglican churches will incorporate the ashes (it is not required in Anglicanism) but will still have a service (often with communion) and focus on the theme of death to sin and self.

There are various spiritual disciplines encouraged or provided during Lent. Many higher churches have the “Stations of the Cross” which commemorates the final hours of Christ’s life. Flowers are removed, things are veiled, and various other symbolic means are used to aid in the remembering of Christ death for sin. There are Lenten devotionals that are focused on the theme of repentance and a deeper confession of sin that are encouraged for families to go through together.

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The idea of having a season for new converts to learn doctrine and to give them a chance to bear the fruit of faith and repentance is certainly NOT a bad thing. Taking care to disciple new believers is very important. Of course, on the other hand, it would be easy for this preparation time to become focused on one’s good works and acts of contrition as what makes you “worthy” of being a Christian/being baptized. For baptized believers as well, it’s not bad at all to have seasons where you do some form of fasting (it is assumed in Scripture that believers will fast), and/or where you spend more time focused on reading Scripture/immersing yourself in the things of God. I have had seasons like this. They were seasons of growth (in various ways), refreshment and spiritual blessing. The danger of course with any kind of good works is that we can find pride in it. How natural is it for us to think “wow I just gave up social media for a month” and find satisfaction in ourselves! What prideful creatures we are! Scripture tells us over and over again to beware of pride or of finding righteousness in ourselves/our good works. The parable of the Unprofitable Servants (Luke 17:7-10) is very helpful for us in this area. Here there are servants who are doing what they are supposed to, they are being obedient, but the Master does not thank them for it. Jesus says in conclusion, “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’”. In other words, when we obey, do a good work, or take a season for fasting/repentance we should not look to God as if to say “God, look what I did!” Rather, it should humble us, and we should say “Anything I have done is worthless before You, and all is by Your grace”. In all our spiritual disciplines, they should humble us and bring us closer to God. Again, I do believe Christians should be fasting in some forms and taking seasons where we spend more time in prayer/spiritual disciplines. It’s assumed and encouraged in Scripture. If you as a Christian have not really considered this, you should be.

But is Lent Scriptural? The season certainly is not. It is hardly Scriptural for you to feel obligated to keep it since it’s not found in Scripture and no one should ever feel obligated or be pressured into keeping a tradition. However, is it “wrong” to celebrate Lent? No, it’s your heart and attitude that is important. If you are celebrating Lent just because that’s what your church tradition does, or to gain some sort of bonus points before God, to attempt to “show” Him how repentant you are or even perhaps (even secretly) to feel better about yourself, then you’re doing it wrong and furthermore, you’re distorting the Gospel. But if you take it as an opportunity to focus in more on Christ, to take time away from the world/things in order to pour into others or into Scripture and prayer and your heart is humbled and challenged by it, than it can absolutely be very encouraging and beneficial for a Christian. Pastors can take the opportunity leading up to Easter to preach a series on sin, repentance, the cross, etc. At the very least, taking time to emphasize the coming of and the remembrance of Good Friday and Easter is extremely valuable. Certainly, it will make Good Friday/Easter a little more meaningful and special as you anticipate them together. (The same can be said about the Advent season and looking forward to Christ’s coming.) Personally, I think most Protestant churches do not make a big enough deal about the Easter season – Palm Sunday is sometimes not even really referenced at all, “Holy” week gets a Maundy Thursday OR Good Friday service (rarely both) but besides making Easter Sunday more special that’s about it. What is the season really about? I challenge you: Are your decorations more about spring or bunnies and eggs than they are about Jesus? Is the start of the baseball season more interesting than gathering and remembering/celebrating with your church family?

 

If you’re wondering if I’m celebrating Lent, well, no.  I do not personally feel the need to something “just because it’s Lent”. Again, I do think Christians should be encouraged to take times of spiritual fasting, etc. but to emphasize a certain time of the year where people feel obligated to do this (I think) takes away from the personal desire and conviction of the Spirit. Lent can be a reminder for us that we should take seasons to fast, seek deeper repentance and spiritual growth. Those are all good Biblical things (and I will also say that I appreciate the emphasis of this in the church services leading up to Easter). But it doesn’t have to be during Lent, and especially should not be “just because” it’s Lent. Using the Lenten season in a way that makes people feel obligated to follow tradition I don’t believe is most faithful with Scriptural teaching. But it’s very important to not make assumptions or judgements about those who do or question their motives. Many Christians keep Lent from a desire to love and honor God and that should be admired. But others see the season leading up to Easter as a joyous time of looking forward to remembering Christ’s resurrection and the salvation He accomplished for us. Both are acceptable. May our hearts just be every more focused on Christ and His work for us.

 

As a follow-up, here is a helpful/interesting article on Lent from a Reformed (non-Anglican) perspective: https://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/yes-and-no-lent-and-the-reformed-faith-today/?fbclid=IwAR2Te0GnuV3D5L518SfTml-9d6BbJx54eTD0fdfKfIaaKSaU92ImAeR8utU

 

And HERE is another Reformed perspective on Lent which I thought was really helpful from Doug Wilson.