Some Conservative Protestants Spark Debate By Embracing Lenten Traditions
NEW YORK — Not all Christians celebrate Lent, but that’s not stopping some — especially those who have never done so before — from embracing it.
Although a recent study reveals that Lent is largely ignored by many Christians in the United States — including those who have traditionally observed it, like Catholics — there is a growing trend among members of some conservative Protestant denominations to incorporate it in their Easter observances.
Some who are members of conservative Presbyterian denominations in the United States have taken up Lent in a break from tradition. Message boards are filled with stories from those who attend such churches, many horrified that some would opt to incorporate a practice that has no mention in the Bible.
Lent — a 40-day period of spiritual preparation for Easter Sunday — is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but is rooted in biblical themes of fasting and repentance exemplified by Jesus’ 40-day fast in the desert. It starts on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday and typically involves giving something up as a sacrifice.
“My church [PCA] doesn’t observe Ash Wednesday. We don’t hold a Good Friday service per se either, but we do have a lamb dinner, singing and reflection at someone’s house,” one Reddit user posted. “Some of our members observe Lent and others do not. But it's not really talked about. … Growing up Anglican, it's a season I deeply appreciate and need. I wish we talked about spiritual disciplines more often. It's strange to me that our church is fine with Advent though.”
In response, another user said, “Odd. I’m PCA and we are having a joint service with the two other PCA churches … complete with oil and ashes. My church has in recent years been more diligent in observing the seasons of the church calendar. It’s been really nice to connect events tangibly with what Christians have done for millennia.”
While some Presbyterian Church in America congregations may observe Lent, it's not universally mandated. Some PCA churches may not observe it at all, reflecting the Reformed tradition's emphasis on regulative principle of worship, which dictates that worship should be based solely on what the Bible explicitly commands.
It’s these different approaches that has caused confusion for some. However, conservative PCA churches don’t publicly endorse celebrating Lent. On its website, for example, The Orthodox Presbyterian Church called its differences with the Catholic Church as “a longstanding historical and theological issue.”
“Those inheriting a Reformed theology (which would include the OPC) have adopted the stance that the church is only to practice in worship what the Bible actually establishes, often called the ‘regulative principle of worship.’ Many in the Reformed tradition would exclude the practice of Lent on this basis — it lacks scriptural warrant,” they added. “Furthermore, the Bible’s liturgical calendar is remarkably simple — it is the Lord’s Day. … This concern for a biblical simplicity is why we don't follow the liturgical calendar of Roman Catholic Church. The conscience is a frail thing, and only God has the right to exercise lordship over it.”
Overall, Lent is “not on the radar” for most Americans, according to a Lifeway Research study focusing on Catholics, Protestants and the unchurched. One in four participants in the survey (26%) say they observe Lent, to one degree or another. That’s lower than the 31% of Americans who claim to attend worship services weekly or almost weekly, according to 2023 polling by Gallup.
In reaction to this data, Jonathan Richerson, a founding pastor at West Haven Baptist Church in Lebanon, Tennessee, said Ash Wednesday, and Lent in general, have gotten more attention across American culture because of social media.
“The practice often involves the spiritual discipline of fasting and abstaining from convenience as a way to focus one’s attention on Christ and His suffering. The practice has been around for thousands of years, but if you watch TV, use social media or listen to the radio, the tradition is making a modern push,” he wrote. “Today you will see people with the Sign of the Cross marked in ash on their forehead. This symbol acts as a public declaration as they begin the 40-day journey. More celebrities are joining the movement by making public statements of their faith in God as they take on the Sign of the Cross and join in other ways of expressing their faith journey.”
But some said that Lenten traditions — epitomized by Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox churches — are nothing new in the United States. The Pilgrims who arrived in 1620 did not celebrate Lent. As the colonies expanded and became more diverse (including with the arrival of Catholics to Maryland), the influence of Lent began to weave itself into the fabric of American religious life.
The Rev. Michael Farley, pastor of spiritual formation at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri, wrote a piece in 2021 published by Modern Reformation where he debated the pros and cons around Lent.
“Lent gives space for lament to loom large by giving us God’s own language to protest the pain and injustice born by a weary and wounded world bruised and broken by the fall,” he said. “It is not a substitute or an alternative to practices that Christians should pursue during the rest of the year; rather, at its best it functions like an annual retreat that gives us space to reflect and renew our commitments to count the cost and follow Christ in the way of the cross. And that blessing makes this Presbyterian glad to accept Lent as a gift, even if it took my church tradition a long time to perceive it as such.”
But Richerson argued that popular apps such as Hallow, which appeal to Christians across all denominations, and the popular streaming series “The Chosen” have also contributed to changing Lenten traditions.
“Again, please don’t mistake what I am trying to say. I am for anything that gets us talking about Jesus, but I am not for simply practicing tradition to make us feel better about our sin,” he added. “We are warned many times in Scripture about this. Everything should always point to Jesus and Him alone!”
Those in the pews, however, have found other ways around such theological debates.
“Practically speaking, most churches I've been to loosely use the liturgical calendar as a guide for choosing songs, decorations and sermon passages,” another Reddit user who is a member of a PCA noted. “Members are not forced or even encouraged to do things like give something up for Lent. The churches I’ve been a part of would have no problem with members choosing to give something up for Lent as a personal spiritual discipline as long as they weren't bragging about it.”
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged.