Posted on 02/18/2015 3:24:56 PM PST by NYer
You wouldnt think that anyone would fight about Ash Wednesday and Lent. For Catholics its part of what we do. For others its something they can use or not as they find it helpful, and increasing numbers do. Down-the-line Evangelical churches have started to hold special services for Ash Wednesday complete with ashes and to treat the Sundays after it as Sundays in Lent. Rather severely anti-sacramental Evangelicals now speak of giving things up and fasting on Fridays.
I find this cheering, but my friend Carl Trueman doesnt. Carl teaches Church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, the flagship of serious Reformed (i.e., Calvinist) Christianity in America. Hes a pastor in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. If youre thinking of the somewhat wooly-minded, generically Protestant Presbyterians in the church in middle of town, youre not thinking of Carls kind of Presbyterian. The mainline Presbyterians are the ones in tweed and corduroy; Carls type are in biker leathers. Hes one John Calvin would have recognized as a brother.
Writing on Reformation21, the website of the Alliance for Confessing Evangelicals, Carl notes that Evangelicals have started observing the season and then lets loose:
He is clearly not pleased and I can see why. The adoption by Evangelicals of some Catholic practices cheers me, however, because it is a gain for them, an expansion of their ways of living their faith, and one that reduces the gap between divided Christians. And, to be honest, because it opens a way for them to understand what the Catholic Church is about.
Carl is right that theyve picked pieces they like without enough thought about the thing from which theyre picking pieces, but as a Catholic I think thats a blessing rather than a mistake. He wants them to be more consistent and coherent Protestants and I would like them to be Catholics, and movement from one to the other requires some inconsistency and incoherence, the way a man wanders back and forth in the forest trying to find his way until he sees in the distance the place he is looking for.
The Church offers riches like an over-loaded wagon in a fairy tale, spilling gold coins every time it hits a pothole. Evangelicals can find in Catholic practice many things they can use just by walking along behind it. Though they have in their own tradition ways to express penance and forgiveness, as Carl notes, Ash Wednesday the whole rite, not just the imposition of ashes offers them a more dramatic way of hearing the truth and enacting it.
The question for them is how much they can take and adapt to their own purposes without having to face the claims of the Church from which theyre taking the things they like. I think rather a long way, because the Church draws upon a wisdom that it is not exclusively Catholic. You can enjoy the imposition of ashes without asking Who is Peter?
But there should come a point where you ask, What is this thing from whom Im always taking? What makes it a thing from which I can take so much? As Carl says, more pointedly: If your own tradition lacks the historical, liturgical and theological depth for which you are looking, it may be time to join a church which can provide the same.
Thank you.
“Ash Wednesday worship, like Palm Sunday worship, is a Christian tradition. “
Palm Sunday is rooted in the Jewish Feasts. The celebration of that feast was why people were carrying palms and used them to welcome Christ as king in the triumphal entry.
Ash Wednesday has no Jewish Feast connection, nor no practice before 100 ad. In that sense, no, it also has no Christian roots.
At some point after the Scriptures were written, the Apostles died and time moved on quite a way, some Christians began to do this. It arose later. I suspect its origin was pagan religion incorporated into Rome’s version of Christianity.
At this point, some Christian religions do it. It is certainly a tradition for them now.
You are welcome.
What denomination do you attend?
LCMS. conservative lutheran, very bible centered and evangelical. I also know of several other evangelical independent bible churches in the area with ash wednesday services. Acknowledging lent does not make one RC or not evangelical.
I’m sorry, but I disagree that the Lutheran Church is evangelical.
The idea of following man made doctrines like Ash Wednesday is too questionable for traditional evangelical churches.
Disagree all you want. It doesn’t change facts one bit. And just so you know we are the conservative branch and have nothing to do with the ELCA and their craziness.
It matters not at all to ones salvation if one celebrates and recognizes specific holidays and rememberances or not. I happen to find it enriches my worship, YMMV. However I think you would find the doctrine of my denomination straight down the middle.
Lent is focused on the time Christ began His final journey to Jerusalem, and is a time of somber reflection. In my church it has nothing to do with eating fish or giving things up. The focus is on Christ as it should be and not on anything the believer does or does not do. Often the characters and motivations of the key players in the passion are studied, and the focus is on how God used all of them and how they responded to their part in the events, whether they believed in Christ or not.
If you have not been to a Good Friday service you might just find it very powerful, you might not. Same with an Easter service. Those that celebrate religious holidays are no less saved or evangelical than those that do not. Do not look down on certain observances because Satan was able to mimic and try to corrupt the celebrations, look at the motivation and Who the celebration is focusing on. You might be pleasantly surprised. (In some denominations, not all)
>>But trust me. There is NOTHING Evangelical about a Lutheran Church.
I’ve heard it said that Lutherans are catholic but not Catholic, evangelical but not Evangelical, and fundamentalist but not Fundamentalist.
Last year's palm leaves from "Palm Sunday" are collected and burned to make the ashes for this year's "Ash Wednesday", the beginning of "Lent", a special time of sorrow for having turned away from God. There is a symbolic connection.
Not Sunday...study what the greek translated "first day of the week" really means.
Somewhere in this thread, the notion that we go around dragging people into church, making them do this, crept in. That is not what we mean by, "imposition of ashes," LOL
Thanks for the post!
>> Just another Catholic tradition that some protestants are trying to steal.
Oh, cut it out! What were you doing that was so important that you couldn’t have taken a few minutes to stick out your hand and offer a friendly welcome to anyone you didn’t recognize as being a regular?
Great job- and worth repeating! Jonah was pretty ticked off when the Ninevites were forgiven because of their penance. After all, he had spoken God’s Word to them, then sat waiting for the fire and brimstone to fall. Seems he was more concerned with his reputation than with the welfare of the people. I wonder how much ivy is going to be growing in people’s yards this summer... : )
Read the posts; know the facts; don’t suspect, learn.
Saved the best for last! Praise God and thanks to Him for your new little one! God bless you and your family! :)
This article was a dud.
Thank you .. and God Bless you too Virgil.
Even more manifest are the upside down crucifix markings of the ashes on the forehead.
I suspect they’ll run to accept the Mark when it arrives.
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