Lent is season for genuine repentance
By Bishop Woodie W. White
Lent is here again, that period before Easter that consists of 40 days, not including Sundays. The United Methodist Church Book of Worship explains the history: "Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians."
Today, we see it as an opportunity to review our lives, especially those places where we have failed to be obedient and faithful disciples of Christ. We promise to do and to be better.
But the matter of sin and repentance is not so simple. Neither is the definition of sin or, for that matter, who needs to repent.
Interestingly, the season of Lent is for the whole Christian community, not just for some Christians. All are called to remember their sin, seek forgiveness and express genuine sorrow, and to make a sincere effort not to repeat those offenses that are displeasing to God.
The presumption of Lent is that all have fallen short. There is none without sin. There are sinners in the church as well as outside of it. There are no exceptions among us -- bishops, pastors, district superintendents and laity of every description. It's true of every person of every racial/ethnic group and nation. All of us have need to repent for deeds done and undone, as well as thoughts we've thought.
It seems that all of my life I have repeated these words on the first Sunday of every month as I've prepared to receive Holy Communion: "We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word and deed. . . ."
Apparently, becoming a member of the church does not assure the perfect life! Sin follows people even into the sanctuary. Indeed, a person does not claim perfection to get in the church and does not become so once in. Still, the sin-thing continued to perplex me.
I remember as a pre-teen discussing with my friends what constituted sin. Some said it was a "sin" to eat meat on Friday. Others said it was a "sin" to drink and gamble. Still others said it was a "sin" to get a divorce. I don't recall any saying that it was a "sin" to be racially prejudiced. (That would later be at the top of my list). And so it went.
It became clear that the churches had their list of sins, big and small. But there did not seem to be a common list on which we all agreed.
One thing was clear, however; the church was made up of sinners.
What I reasoned as a boy, I discovered as a man. Even the finest and most dedicated follower of Christ often misses the mark. There are many, like Paul, who agonize over the fact that the good they desire to do is often what they fail to do, and the ill they know they should not do comes so easily. It is what I have painfully learned about myself.
So I am ready for Lent! I will join other sinners in the Christian community, including The United Methodist Church, and acknowledge that I have sinned by thought, word and deed. I will express genuine sorrow for these, my "misdoings." I will find some way to express in concrete ways my remorse, and I will vow to live a more holy and obedient life.
I am confident that most days, I will. So will countless other Christians.
But Lent, you see, is for the days we won't.
Copyright 2006 United Methodist Reporter. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Retired United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White currently serves as bishop-in-resident at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Ga.