As you know, today marks the beginning of Lent as it's Ash Wednesday. According to LifeWay Research, only 26% of Americans observe this Christian holiday. That is about the same number that said they will be partaking back in 2016. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending during Holy Week, a traditional 40-day window of fasting before Easter, Lent serves as a time of preparation for many Christian. The practice often involves the spiritual discipline of fasting and abstaining from convenience as a way to focus one’s attention on Christ and His suffering. The practice has been around for thousands of years, but if you watch TV, use social media or listen to the radio, the tradition is making a modern push. Today you will see people with the Sign of the Cross marked in ash on their forehead. This symbol acts as a public declaration as they begin the 40-day journey. More celebrities are joining the movement by making public statements of their faith in God as they take on the Sign of the Cross and join in other ways of expressing their faith journey.
This morning I enjoyed a great interview by Fox News senior correspondent Benjamin Hall as he asked actor Mark Wahlberg about his faith and the start of the Christian season of Lent. Wahlberg was transparent about his past, his choice of movie roles and how his personal faith guides his life path. I have been a longtime fan of Wahlberg’s and it was refreshing to hear him talk about these things so openly. One needs not to be a fan of his to appreciate the role he has taken in getting his thoughts on faith into the public arena. One of the ways he has accomplished this over the past few years is by becoming the face of the Hallow prayer App. Thanks to his efforts (and the guy who plays Jesus on The Chosen) the App has become the #1 prayer app in the world. It was during the interview this morning that I learned something I did not previously connect with Wahlberg; since April of 2022 he’s been a paid partner of the App. As a matter of fact, right now they are offering FREE TRIAL: “a 40-day prayer challenge alongside millions of others around the world with Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, Jonathan Roumie, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam, and featuring special guests Gwen Stefani, Shayne Smith, and more! For 40 days, you’ll pray and meditate on John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” https://try.hallow.com/ I hate to admit, but I have never looked into the app until this morning. I did not realize it cost something to partner in prayer.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking capitalism, nor Wahlberg’s efforts to get people praying, because I am for anything that gets people talking about Christianity, but I have a few observations. During the interview this morning Wahlberg only mentioned the name “Jesus” once. He referred to his “faith in God” many times. Also on this subject, I read an article this morning on season five of The Chosen. This is the hit series that started as an App and has moved onto the Big Screen and streaming. Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the series, is a popular face on the Hallow App. It is reported that in the fifth season of The Chosen, Jesus and Judas have a dialogue in which the character Jesus says, "I will pray for you." Apparently, the series is at the place in Scripture where Judas is about to betray Jesus. The scene causes viewers to have pity on Judas, as if he struggles with betraying Jesus and Jesus offers to pray for him. The Bible does not support this at all. In fact, this is a Gnostic traditional teaching that came many years after the Bible and is heretical. John 17:12 gives us a clear picture of Judas from the beginning. He was never a true believer. This is one, of many reasons, I am not a fan of The Chosen.
What’s my point? Like I said, I am in favor of most things that get us talking about the Bible, but when we begin the dialogue, we have to establish ground rules of where we take the conversation from there. Anything that does not ultimately take the conversation to the Biblical truth about Jesus is a fool’s errand to follow for any length of time. What normally happens is our “tradition” is used to excuse our sinful behavior and become our religion. We spend more time practicing an act, than reflection on why we are performing the act.
I am excited to enter this time of Lent, the conversation around the Hallow App, conversation that stems from The Chosen, however, I am cautious in the fact that I believe these have the ability to become a person’s religion instead of leading one to a relationship with Jesus. It is fun and easy to watch a streaming series that is produced well. It is exciting to hear a prayer in the voice of the person who plays Jesus or is in one of your favorite movies. It is nice to be in the crowd that makes public declarations of faith through symbolism. However, the Scripture does more to warn us against these types of things than it is in support of them.
In Matthew 6, we are given an entire chapter that warns us against what can happen while in public displays of acts of service if we are not mindful of the Biblical reason they even exist. Jesus warns us about the temptation that comes when we give to the poor (vs. 1-4), offer prayers (vs. 5-15), fasting (vs. 16-18) earthly treasure (vs. 19-24) and worry (vs. 25-34). None of these should draw attention to ourselves, but be something we do in private with the Lord.
Again, please don’t mistake what I am trying to say. I am for anything that gets us talking about Jesus, but I am not for simply practicing tradition to make us feel better about our sin. We are warned many times in Scripture about this. Everything should always point to Jesus and Him alone!
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” - Matthew 6:16-18
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Jonathan
This morning I enjoyed a great interview by Fox News senior correspondent Benjamin Hall as he asked actor Mark Wahlberg about his faith and the start of the Christian season of Lent. Wahlberg was transparent about his past, his choice of movie roles and how his personal faith guides his life path. I have been a longtime fan of Wahlberg’s and it was refreshing to hear him talk about these things so openly. One needs not to be a fan of his to appreciate the role he has taken in getting his thoughts on faith into the public arena. One of the ways he has accomplished this over the past few years is by becoming the face of the Hallow prayer App. Thanks to his efforts (and the guy who plays Jesus on The Chosen) the App has become the #1 prayer app in the world. It was during the interview this morning that I learned something I did not previously connect with Wahlberg; since April of 2022 he’s been a paid partner of the App. As a matter of fact, right now they are offering FREE TRIAL: “a 40-day prayer challenge alongside millions of others around the world with Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, Jonathan Roumie, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam, and featuring special guests Gwen Stefani, Shayne Smith, and more! For 40 days, you’ll pray and meditate on John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” https://try.hallow.com/ I hate to admit, but I have never looked into the app until this morning. I did not realize it cost something to partner in prayer.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking capitalism, nor Wahlberg’s efforts to get people praying, because I am for anything that gets people talking about Christianity, but I have a few observations. During the interview this morning Wahlberg only mentioned the name “Jesus” once. He referred to his “faith in God” many times. Also on this subject, I read an article this morning on season five of The Chosen. This is the hit series that started as an App and has moved onto the Big Screen and streaming. Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the series, is a popular face on the Hallow App. It is reported that in the fifth season of The Chosen, Jesus and Judas have a dialogue in which the character Jesus says, "I will pray for you." Apparently, the series is at the place in Scripture where Judas is about to betray Jesus. The scene causes viewers to have pity on Judas, as if he struggles with betraying Jesus and Jesus offers to pray for him. The Bible does not support this at all. In fact, this is a Gnostic traditional teaching that came many years after the Bible and is heretical. John 17:12 gives us a clear picture of Judas from the beginning. He was never a true believer. This is one, of many reasons, I am not a fan of The Chosen.
What’s my point? Like I said, I am in favor of most things that get us talking about the Bible, but when we begin the dialogue, we have to establish ground rules of where we take the conversation from there. Anything that does not ultimately take the conversation to the Biblical truth about Jesus is a fool’s errand to follow for any length of time. What normally happens is our “tradition” is used to excuse our sinful behavior and become our religion. We spend more time practicing an act, than reflection on why we are performing the act.
I am excited to enter this time of Lent, the conversation around the Hallow App, conversation that stems from The Chosen, however, I am cautious in the fact that I believe these have the ability to become a person’s religion instead of leading one to a relationship with Jesus. It is fun and easy to watch a streaming series that is produced well. It is exciting to hear a prayer in the voice of the person who plays Jesus or is in one of your favorite movies. It is nice to be in the crowd that makes public declarations of faith through symbolism. However, the Scripture does more to warn us against these types of things than it is in support of them.
In Matthew 6, we are given an entire chapter that warns us against what can happen while in public displays of acts of service if we are not mindful of the Biblical reason they even exist. Jesus warns us about the temptation that comes when we give to the poor (vs. 1-4), offer prayers (vs. 5-15), fasting (vs. 16-18) earthly treasure (vs. 19-24) and worry (vs. 25-34). None of these should draw attention to ourselves, but be something we do in private with the Lord.
Again, please don’t mistake what I am trying to say. I am for anything that gets us talking about Jesus, but I am not for simply practicing tradition to make us feel better about our sin. We are warned many times in Scripture about this. Everything should always point to Jesus and Him alone!
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” - Matthew 6:16-18
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Jonathan
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