Reboot Repentance

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
As most computer users know, computers like people, can be cantankerous. Computers become cranky when left running for long periods of time, especially when multiple programs are opened at once. Computer geeks call such a state a “drain on system resources.” When the drain becomes great enough, various programs compete for a diminishing pool of resources and the computer slows to a crawl or crashes. At that point, the only option is to restart the stalled computer, an operation known as “rebooting.”

People also need “rebooting” from time to time. The Bible calls this “repentance.” Repentance is taking stock of where one is in life and recognizing the need for change. Perhaps one is feeling the drain of being chronically overly committed. Perhaps one has too many ventures going for available time and energy. Such states are the spiritual equivalent of a computer about to crash. It’s time to “reboot.”

Fortunately, the early church set aside a season in the church year to attend to such soul work. The season is called “Lent.” Lent is a forty day period of preparation for the celebration of Easter. It commemorates the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness.

In the past, Lent was considered a “Catholic thing to do.” However, in the last forty years or so, many Baptists and other Protestants have reclaimed this ancient Christian practice. The practice of a forty day fast prior to Easter (excluding Sundays) began in the early centuries of the church’s life, long before there was a Protestant/Catholic divide. In other words, Lent belongs to all Christians, not just our Catholic brothers and sisters.

From its origins as a fast, Lent continues to invite Christians to give up something as a way of simplifying one’s life and making more room for God: perhaps giving up the morning newspaper to devote that time for prayer, or giving up an evening of mind-numbing television to claim some family time.

This Sunday, our GAs will help us prepare for the Lenten journey by offering a special lunch and service following Sunday worship (see cover article). Then on Wednesday evening, we will gather in the sanctuary to make an ashen cross upon our foreheads, recalling the biblical injunction, “You are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Thankfully, we make that difficult admission under the sign of the cross that promises eternal life to those who believe.

If you are experiencing “system drain” and are in serious need of “rebooting,” Lent offers that opportunity. It is God’s invitation to slow down, take stock, and start fresh. I can hardly wait.

(for Feb 22, 2009)