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Lenten Season time for penitence

On Wednesday, March 2 began the journey of this year’s Lent, a period of spiritual renewal and self-denial leading to the celebration of Easter on Friday April 15 to Monday 18.

 

The observance of Lent, 40 days fast (excluding Sundays) by some Christians is interpreted as a step away from ecumenism while a segment views it differently.

Churches, especially those under the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), a bloc of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), are known to fast at various periods as declared by the General Overseers, particularly at the beginning of the year and some towards the second or third quarter of the year.

 

The variation is not limited to time differences in congregational fasting. It is also witnessed in the nonobservance of Christmas by some churches.

Apostle Enyinnaya Okwuonu, Chairman of PFN, Lagos Chapter, in a chat with Sunday Telegraph, said that Lent should be encouraged as being beneficial to partakers, regardless that Pentecostals do not observe it.

“Lent is a specific period in the year spanning 40 days from Ash Wednesday up until about Good Friday. It is usually a period dedicated to penitence and introspection.

The Lent period designates the 40 days period of fasting and separation in the wilderness by the Lord Jesus Christ. “Observance of the Lent period is peculiar to some denominations within the Christian fold, but generally Pentecostals don’t observe the Lent exercise as a practice or rule. This is largely because there’s no mention of it as a means of grace in the Bible.

“That notwithstanding one does not condemn its observance. In fact it should be encouraged as a needed discipline to put the spirit in tune and the flesh under control. It is never a means of obtaining grace or pleasing God,” he stated. Okwuonu further said that fasting of any kind “does not change God nor affect our relationship with Him.

 

It rather benefits the one doing it, putting him or her in a better spiritual frame, giving him or her control over his or her appetites and the fallen human nature thus enabling him or her to live right before God and man. Lent should be private and optional, not mandatory, for anyone who chooses to undertake self-discipline.”

On Lent not being observed by all Christians at the same time, Baba Aladura Israel Akinadewo, Prelate, Motailatu Church, Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW), said Lenten Season is universal and it is expected that all Christian denominations should cohesively observe it, ” but our diversity made some among us to undermine the significance of this Holy Season.”

He referenced John 22 verse 17, noting that Jesus Christ said that the glory He received from God “had been given to us, His beloved, for the purpose of oneness (unity).”

In view of this, Christians are expected to act and work in unity, he said, stressing: “Our diversity should not be used from negative angle but to unify the more, Christians…I also want to emphasise that aside this seasonal spiritual activities, many denominations equally have different times that they call their members out for fasting.

This, however, depends on spiritual messages or liturgical requirements. “Furthermore, individuals also fast for specific needs.

 

Thus, while Lent should be observed by all (to form a united front as expected by Christ), it is equally not sinful for those with different mindset towards it. In my own church, Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW) a member of Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), it is one of our most important annual programmes.

“Do Christians still pay attention to Lent? Of course. You could conduct a research across the church, with many denominations having it in their annual calendars. That some have opposing views to it is inconsequential to its significance. If you must know, in some Christian homes, their domestic animals feel the impact of this period.

 

They must observe on their own due to the lack of food from their owners.” The OAIC Vice President explained that Lent is significant to the Christian faith as Jesus Christ needed to embark on 40 days and 40 nights fasting in commencing His salvation ministry.

 

Hence, he reiterated that this significantly shows that ministers of God and the adherents of Christian faith need fasting to strengthen their relationship with God. Also, he urged Christians across the country to seek God’s intervention in the nation and the world. “It is called denial of what our flesh needs. When we follow the demands of our flesh, we move further away from spirituality, hence, we open our doors for iniquities.

 

Secondly, fasting makes our mortal body tilt towards things of heaven to guarantee quicker answers to our prayer requests. In this period of penitence, one of our prayer focuses is to pray for our country and the world in general. “We all could see the carnage going on in Ukraine. The political class tends to do things in total disregard for God’s expectations.

 

No respect for the sanctity of human life, and men are destroying other men that were created in the likeness of God. How then do we expect God to be happy? In this situation, only the prayers of the faithful through fasting will stop this inhuman behaviour, cruelty and barbaric actions.

“Let me stress it here that without the constant and annual Lenten and Fasting observations, many nations would have been destroyed like the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. If not for this, the murderous activities of the bandits in some parts of the country would have turned our dear country to another Somalia.

God Has been merciful to His own people through our calling on Him in our diverse ways, which the Lenten Season is pivotal,” Akinadewo stated. Are there consequences to not observing Lent, he maintained that observance of fast likewise wards evil off.

He added: “When the King of Nineveh heard of the evil coming upon his nation, he declared fasting across the board, including animals. The primary consequence for nonobservance is moving further away from God’s ordinances and the result could only be imagined. Check the statistics to know the number of innocent blood that have been shed in our own country,

Ukraine, Syria, etc, then, you will understand that it is our fasting that is still holding the world together.” Rt. Rev. Stephen Adegbite of the Methodist Church of Nigeria and CAN Chairman, Lagos State, shared that the goal of Lent is to draw closer to the Lord as one prepares for the anniversary of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

He added that Lent is sometimes called the ‘Great Fast’, a period of time in which Christians are meant to give up some comfort or adopt some spiritual practice that leads to self-examination, repentance from sin, and, ultimately, renewal of the soul, all in anticipation of greater dedication to serving others and God.

“Lent is a sober religious observation in which Christians embark on fasting and other pious activities in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s journey into the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days and was tempted by Satan before the inception of his earthly ministry as narrated in the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke.

The period also serves as a reminder to Christians about Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and death on Calvary for the salvation of humanity. “The highlights of the period are abstinence and fasting, abstaining from festivities, drinks, food and foregoing luxurious lifestyle and pleasures while imbibing the virtue of holiness, almsgiving and humility.

 

“Lent which starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on the eve of Easter Sunday, is observed by various church denominations including the Catholic; Anglican; Lutheran; Presbyterian; Orthodox; Methodist and some African instituted churches such as Cherubim and Seraphim; Celestial Church of Christ; and Church of the Lord (Aladura), among others,” said Adegbite.

He continued that during the 40 days period of Lent, “as Methodists we come together every Wednesday to have a Lenten service.

 

However, it is important to realise that Lent goes beyond mere abstinence; it should be an opportunity to imitate Christ who has given Christians the opportunity to be like Him in all things.”

It is also an opportunity to place complete dependence on God, he underlines, adding: “We have the luxuries of running water, easy access to food, and much more. We can intentionally step away from something we regularly enjoy to remind ourselves that Jesus provides for all our needs.

“God is a generous God, and fasting is one way to remember how good He is to us. Jesus gave Himself to save us from our sin. We can give up a luxury for a set time to remember God’s goodness to us.

As we near Easter, let’s remember to set our focus on Jesus and let go of everything that distracts us from Him.”

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