March 2010 Pastors Corner

I have been digging in my grandfather’s files these days. I am the caretaker of his preaching outlines and other writings from his career as a pastor preaching in Norwegian and English, as the circumstances required. My personal interest is to try and meet someone who died well before I was born. But my pastoral interest is to see how a Lutheran pastor preached from 1912-1937 in North Dakota, Chicago and Seattle. Among his papers I discovered these words about Lent from both a Roman Catholic and Lutheran perspective. I offer these words from the Bishop of Seattle, Edw. O’Dea, in February, 1931. They’re titled “Regulations for Lent.”

“Abstinence and fasting are a strict obligation. The law of abstinence is binding on all over seven years of age. It consists in abstaining from flesh meat and all that is derived from it. The law of fasting is binding on all adults between 21 and 59 years of age. Fasting consists in partaking of but one full meal at or about mid-day on the day appointed. All week days of Lent from Ash Wednesday to mid-day on Easter Saturday are days of fasting. In addition to the Fridays, all Wednesdays of Lent and the Saturday following the 1st Sunday of Lent are days of abstinence. No fast or abstinence is ever observed on Sunday….While any excess in food and drink and all worldly amusements of questionable propriety are at no time allowed and are always to be shunned, the season of Lent, being a time of penance and mortification, summons us to abstain, either wholly or in great part, even from such pleasure and amusements as would be otherwise permissible. The time and thought thus saved may profitably be devoted to the service of God and the benefit of the immortal soul by prayer, the reading of spiritual books and by attending the instructions and other devotions of Lent….We exhort all to be always faithful to their religious duties and above all never to miss Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of obligation….Pastors are ordered to make arrangements for a series of solid and practical instructions or lectures on the Teachings of the Church on Wednesday evenings during Lent, at which their parishioners should consider it their duty to be present…Pastors are also requested to read in the vernacular at the daily Mass the Gospel which is assigned.”

Now for the Lutheran view which appeared in “Our Lutheran Monthly,” March 1931.

“The mere mention of the word Lent brings holy joy within us…A church custom has set this season apart as a time for special consideration of the great deeds of our Salvation, especially the last bitter suffering and death of our Savior. There are various responsibilities that become ours during this holy season. Lent is a time for personal devotion through the services of His house, personal Bible study and prayer. During this season we should turn away from our business and the world long enough each day to read and study a portion of the Scriptures. Lent is a time of prayer. It is a time to seek God’s throne individually and personally. Pray that God may give you more faith, more trust, more charity, more love, more of all those Christian graces which we all need. During Lent we should also realize our personal responsibility. We are God’s people and we owe Him a life of devotion and activity. We have a responsibility to the Church. The Church is God’s institution on earth for the salvation of souls. You have been called into that Church. You have enjoyed the blessings of that Church, and you have a responsibility to that Church. Are you fulfilling that duty? God calls upon you to do work for His kingdom. There are those who have fallen away from God and those who have been left by the side of the road–He wants you to go out and bring in those who are not yet His. Have you heeded His call? Will you bring someone to a closer relationship with the Master? Will you pray that this Lenten season may be a blessed one? If you will do this, then this Lenten season will be a blessed one to you.”

Are these words from a bygone era, never to return again? Are they irrelevant for our understanding and growth in faith today? Many other questions could be raised, but I find it impressive that both the Roman Catholic and Lutheran leaders thought Lent was a worthy endeavor. I know that my personal life has never been busier, and I hear the same from you. In fact, it seems the busiest people I know are all retired! Regardless of our age or life circumstance, the period of Lent grants us growth in faith through the ordinary tools of the Holy Spirit’s workshop, i.e. Bible-reading, worship, deeds of service and offering an opportunity to be a witness to someone we already know. Believe me, it’s hard to have a substantial conversation about faith in our fast-paced, sound-bite culture. But keep your eyes and ears open. Lent is ready and waiting for your use and for the benefit of someone for whom this may just be the right time to hear about the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Grace and peace,

Philip Nesvig, pastor