I had no idea what Lent was until I was a teenager. Even then, I knew it as a strange Catholic tradition that involved eating fish instead of "meat". I only learned any of this because I worked at McDonalds, and the Filet-O-Fish was a big seller this time of year. I grew up in a Protestant Christian home, church, and school, and Lent was never spoken of, much less practiced.

I have since learned that many mainline Protestant denominations have always practiced Lent, and that it has historically been evangelicals and fundamentalists that have not participated. This exclusion has started to change, and I think it highlights a general shift in the church that is worth exploring.

For my circle of influence, Lent, along with many other traditional religious practices, fell cleanly into the category of “vain traditions,” which St. Peter… I mean Peter… warned us about (1 Peter 1:18-19). We purged ourselves of traditional hymns, started calling “sundayschool” by other clever names, and replaced communion wine with grape juice. In essence, we replaced the old traditions with new traditions. But what do we do when these new traditions begin to feel stale, or even “vain”?

The mindset that tradition is a hindrance to authenticity can be a hindrance to authenticity itself, yet that mindset is still firmly entrenched in the modern church. If my efforts and practices revolve around not being traditional, then I am missing out on some fantastic traditions. Indeed, many of these practices became traditions because they led to a deeper, more authentic faith for generations past. And that is worth honoring. There is value in honoring the past.

This seems to be taking hold in the church. Lent is a prime example, not just in LFA, but in other evangelical churches. Some Christians celebrate Hanukkah and Passover, as a way of honoring the past. We are becoming more progressive by becoming more traditional. We are moving forward, growing in our faith, by understanding the faith of our fathers, not trying to hide from it. We are putting aside the "vain tradition" of weeding out tradition. Peter was not telling the early church that tradition is bad, but that we should not ascribe meaning to meaningless practices, be they hundreds of years old, or from the 80’s, or from last week.

As we enter Holy Week and Easter, keep an eye on the past. Progress is made when we have the freedom to live authentic lives, honoring the past when it deepens our faith, and letting go of traditions, new or old, when they hinder our growth.