Fine outward training

Here's kind of the flipside of what I wrote the other day. It's for our church newsletter.

“Fine Outward Training"
Vicar Darren Harbaugh

Around the country, millions of people are beginning to see the end of a long winter…at least those people who are baseball fans. Many of us eagerly counted down the days until players reported to Spring Training, beginning their month-long time of preparation for the new season. I’m sure that many of you are especially excited this year to see if Lincecum, Posey, Wilson and the rest of the boys can lead the Giants to a repeat of their World Series victory.

During spring training, I like to prepare myself for the long season ahead. I usually spend time watching Ken Burns' Baseball documentary, re-reading classic baseball books like "The Glory of Their Times," and watching great games from the past.

This year, baseball’s Spring Training and the Lenten season overlap fairly nicely. Just as Spring Training is a time of preparation for baseball players (and some rabid fans), Lent is a time of Christian preparation often marked by increased attention devoted to almsgiving, fasting, and prayer (rooted in our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 6:1-18). Lent is a 40 day penitential season, allowing us to repent and examine ourselves as the great feast of the Resurrection of our Lord approaches.

Just as baseball players prepare physically in anticipation of Opening Day and the start of a new season, Christians prepare spiritually in anticipation of the annual celebration of new life through the Easter triumph - the Resurrection of Christ.

There are many ways that we can prepare spiritually.

If you have neglected daily devotions, now is a great time to reintroduce that holy habit. Pick up a Portals of Prayer from the church narthex or order “Treasury of Daily Prayer” (www.cph.org/prayer) to help assist you.

Also, you are invited to attend one of our midweek Lenten services Wednesday at 7PM (proceeded by a dinner at 6). The sermons at these services will focus upon interactions between Jesus and Peter and how these reflect upon our own pride, complacency, misunderstanding, discipleship, and denial.

Perhaps you would like to practice the discipline of fasting by eating more simply on certain days. Traditionally, fasting has meant 1/4 meal for breakfast and lunch, with a simple dinner and abstaining from meat and wine on Fridays.

Just by means of a disclaimer, lest you think the Vicar is trying to introduce a “Romanizing” practice, in the Small Catechism Martin Luther says that fasting is "a fine outward training." It’s a Christian’s Spring Training, so to speak.

Also, the LCMS’ website says: “If a Christian wants to give something up for Lent as a way of remembering and personalizing the great sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for our sins, then that Christian is certainly free to do so.”

Amen! We are free in Christ! And if you do indeed chose to exercise your Christian freedom by fasting, you need not simply “give up” something. As Pastor Wil Weedon writes, “By not eating so much, you actually have more money to give to others who have less than you, and by not fixing elaborate meals, you also have more time to spend in the Word and prayer.

Further, by going hungry each day you experience solidarity with those many members of the human race who also go hungry each day. Above all, we teach ourselves that the hunger behind all hungers is the hunger for God Himself.”

I wish you a blessed Spring Training, er, I mean, Lenten season as we joyfully prepare ourselves spiritually for the coming Easter celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord.