What Should Protestants Think About Lent (Blog)

[Note: You can find an audio version of this blog (podcast episode) at The Word at Westminster (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.]

Protestant Christians are sometimes confused (or suspicious) about Lent. Why? Let me offer some explanations and then some advice going forward for pilgrims of the Way.

Meaning

First, what is it?

Lent is the forty-day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to the celebration of Easter. It starts on Ash Wednesday (more about that shortly) and ends on Easter Sunday.

The word itself, Lent, was chosen for convenience, not because of any religious purpose per se. It traces to an old English word for “springtime,” lencten. More literally, it means “lengthen,” which is a reference to the lengthening of days after a long, dark winter. Since this forty-day period roughly corresponds to more sun, warmer temperatures, and the approach of spring, it was a fitting title.

Many people fast during Lent. The biblical practice of fasting is giving up food for a certain period of time for a greater spiritual purpose. These days some people may prefer to go without social media or a bad habit. “I’m giving up such-and-such for Lent.” Others, instead of giving something up, take on a new practice to help them draw closer to God—perhaps a prayer habit, memorizing some psalms, or volunteering for a special project.

All of this is supposed to help us engage in heightened spiritual activity, fortitude and focus, as we prepare for our annual remembrance and celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ at Easter.

Confusion and Suspicion

So, why are some Protestant Christians confused (or suspicious) about Lent?

Protestant Christianity is a movement that traces through the calls for church reform in the sixteenth century. Generally speaking, it sought to reform the church from certain abuses and extravagancies which had crept into its belief and practice. The reformers took issue with what the church taught about purgatory, Mary, the Pope, indulgences, and praying to saints, among other things.

I’m simplifying, but in a desire to purge the church from unbiblical excess, over time many practices which could not be directly justified in the Bible, fell out of use.

Today, you sometimes hear Protestants speak dismissively about Lent. “It’s not in the Bible.” Well, that’s true in the sense that the word is never used. But before you dismiss it too soon, let me also point out that there is no direct mandate for formal “youth ministry” either. Nor is there a mandate to celebrate Christmas. In fact, many modern Protestants would be surprised to learn that their ancestors only started celebrating Christmas in the nineteenth century.

And yet, it is well and good to have formal youth ministries (because they help our young people know and follow Jesus), and to celebrate Christmas (since it’s an occasion to remember and celebrate the birth of Christ and God’s saving love for us in the incarnation).

So, before we dismiss Lent out of hand, we need to ask ourselves whether the practices associated with Lent are biblically justified. Although Christians certainly don’t need to observe Lent—since there is no direct biblical command—there are good reasons to do so for those who are so inclined. Let me explain.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Some churches hold services, some don’t. It has a somber tone. We reflect on our mortality. In the Garden of Eden, God spoke these words to Adam after he sinned: “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Ashes are sometimes put on people’s foreheads in the sign of the cross. This act isn’t just about our mortality. It expresses our mourning for sin and our reliance on God’s grace. In his own mourning, Mordechai put on “sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1). Daniel covered himself in ashes when he prayed to God for his people (Daniel 9:3).

Jud Wilhite comments: “The people who are most aware of their mortality tend to spend their lives most richly.”[i] He makes a good point. We remind ourselves that the days are short. How are we spending them? Are we turned toward the grace of God in humble reliance, or toward ourselves in proud self-dependence?

Forty days

When it comes to Lent as a whole, the forty-day timeline recalls other forty-day periods in the Bible. It rained forty days and forty nights when Noah was in the ark. Elijah prepared for ministry for forty days. Moses was on the mountain of God for forty days. And Jesus fasted in the wilderness while being tempted by Satan for forty days. I also find it telling that a full-term pregnancy is forty weeks.

So, what is the meaning of a forty-day period of time? Although the Bible never provides an explicit answer, it seems that forty is a period of preparation for a new time and task under God. That was certainly true for all the examples I just cited.

With all of this in mind, it is entirely appropriate for Christians to observe special periods of heightened spiritual activity. As we get closer to Easter, we can spend more time in prayer and fasting as we purge ourselves from selfishness, apathy or distrust, while re-centering ourselves in the living God who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

With this background in mind, do Protestants have to observe Lent? No. But it’s also totally appropriate if they want to. All of the practices outlined above have biblical warrant.

“Sounds Catholic”

I sometimes have conversations with Protestants who simply have an issue with Lent because it “sounds Catholic.” This tells me that they have an aversion to things that some Catholics do without always knowing the reason for their distaste.

As an evangelical Protestant, I certainly have some significant theological disagreements with Roman Catholics. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some things Roman Catholics do which aren’t also helpful for all Christians. I’m not going to pray the Rosary, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have other things in common.

Imagine riding in a car with your sixteen-year-old son. He’s a new driver. Unfortunately, he gets a bit careless and rear-ends another car in an intersection. You yell: “You’re never allowed to drive in town again!” Understandably, you’re upset. But you’ve also over-reacted.

My point is this. In some ways, Protestantism has over-reacted against some of its own historic practices. By rightly wanting to purify beliefs and customs according to the Word of God (a very good thing), it has sometimes been too dismissive of practices that didn’t seem to have a direct mandate in the Bible. You might not find the word “Lent,” but you also don’t find the words “Trinity,” “Christmas,” “Good Friday,” or “Sunday School.” The important question is whether or not the teachings and practices associated with those words are biblically justified.

A long(er) Protestant history

As Protestants, we do well to remember that our history didn’t begin with Martin Luther and John Calvin in the 1500’s. We are a reform movement, not a new movement. In the early days of the church, new Christians were instructed about their faith for a forty-day period leading up to their baptisms at Easter. That is a part of our story too. Augustine is a part of our story. So is Benedict. So is the church through the Middle Ages, Bernard of Clairvaux and Catherine of Sienna. Yes, there was a significant reform in the sixteenth century, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I’ve also heard it said that we don’t need a “season” to engage in repentance, self-examination, fasting and spiritual focus. That’s true. But for some people, it’s helpful. I don’t need a nativity scene, the Christmas holidays, or “Joy to the World” to give thanks for Jesus’ birth and God’s saving love. But when I put up the decorations, it sure helps.

Protestari

The title “Protestant” is unfortunate, really. These days it makes you think of someone attending a “protest”—individuals or groups who are always angry and holding signs, sometimes ignorant about what they are even protesting. And although there is certainly an element of protest in our history, the title comes from the Latin word “protestari,” meaning “to publicly declare.” We publicly declare and testify to the truth, which is ultimately revealed in the person, cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, made known to us in the Bible, by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we keep focused on that, it will be hard to go wrong.

In the sixth century, St. Benedict wrote a series of guidelines (his “Rule”) which would come to be massively influential in the development of monastic practice all over the world. He included this word about the true spirit of Lent: “These holy days should be a time to make up for past shortcomings by turning away from sin, dedicating ourselves to tearful prayer, engaging in spiritual reading, cultivating a repentant heart, and practicing self-denial… With eagerness and spiritual longing, we should look forward to the celebration of holy Easter.”[ii] Well said.

In the Bible, “forty” is period of preparation for a new time and task under God. No matter what you are facing, best not face it alone. Let’s draw near to the One who makes all things new, including you and me.

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[i] Jud Wilhite, The God of Yes: How Faith Makes All Things New (New York: Faith Words, 2014), 144.

[ii] St. Benedict, The Rule of St. Benedict: A Modern Translation, ed. Peter Northcut (ModernSaints, 2025), 55.