21 February 2007
Lenten Season
Today is the first day of Lent. 40 weekdays including Saturdays until Easter Sunday. Google or read a quick synopsis here. The church of my formative years never emphasised this custom of fasting or 'giving up something' for Lent, or at least I never noticed. There were buildup events for Palm Sunday, Passover and Good Friday but very little said about Lent. Easter Sunday was where it was at. Everyone dressed up and there was special music and crowds overflowing the sanctuary into makeshift seating in the foyer, not to mention lots of candy at home. I never wondered about the neglecting of Lent really, though after reading some online history, it could have been in line with the Protestant disagreement with Carnival/Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday, which excuse indulgence based on future repentance during Lent. Kind of makes sense, in a non-denominational-no-confession-booths-to-be-found kind of way. For many years the church met in a high school gymnasium. I can just imagine these confession booths in a sort of cardboard voters booth style, in the back next to the concession stand and the trophy case.
¶ 2/21/2007 01:29:00 PM 
Today is the first day of Lent. 40 weekdays including Saturdays until Easter Sunday. Google or read a quick synopsis here. The church of my formative years never emphasised this custom of fasting or 'giving up something' for Lent, or at least I never noticed. There were buildup events for Palm Sunday, Passover and Good Friday but very little said about Lent. Easter Sunday was where it was at. Everyone dressed up and there was special music and crowds overflowing the sanctuary into makeshift seating in the foyer, not to mention lots of candy at home. I never wondered about the neglecting of Lent really, though after reading some online history, it could have been in line with the Protestant disagreement with Carnival/Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday, which excuse indulgence based on future repentance during Lent. Kind of makes sense, in a non-denominational-no-confession-booths-to-be-found kind of way. For many years the church met in a high school gymnasium. I can just imagine these confession booths in a sort of cardboard voters booth style, in the back next to the concession stand and the trophy case.Over the last few years it has been interesting cluing into American ideas of various Lent fasts. Many of them traditionally involve food, like giving up chocolate, or meat, or french fries, or gummy candy, or fois gras or something. Others involve technology, like turning off the TV and/or shelving the Wii or PS3. The idea is to sacrifice. Over the 40 days the sacrifice will illicit moments of meditation on the ultimate sacrifice. And the hope is that God reveals Himself, providing strength and perseverance to complete the commitment. We examine ourselves and turn to the throne of Grace, to be refined toward holiness. And at the end, you may not even care about that thing anymore. The profundity of Christ's resurrection affects you on a deeper level than all previous years, amplifying the celebration of our Savior's victory over death.
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Rock on Eric for posting about Lent. Jeremy and I have had a similiar awakening to Lent in recent years. Rob Bell's church Mars Hill celebrates Lent as a church, and has a link online to daily Bible readings, etc.
http://www.marshill.org/lent07/weeklyReading.php
There's a part of me that worries about it being a "formula", especially as I'm looking to a Lent Daily Bible reading plan, but, I do think real sacrafice is essential to understanding the heart of God. I hadn't made the committment to giving anything up yet, but am now considering it, as you've reminded me tis the season.
Jeremy and I have been reading your past blogs for about a week now (once Syd invited me to her blog, we have found your blog...cyber relationships, you know), enjoy your thoughts.
Peace Out, and Happy Lenting.
Jenny Green
http://www.marshill.org/lent07/weeklyReading.php
There's a part of me that worries about it being a "formula", especially as I'm looking to a Lent Daily Bible reading plan, but, I do think real sacrafice is essential to understanding the heart of God. I hadn't made the committment to giving anything up yet, but am now considering it, as you've reminded me tis the season.
Jeremy and I have been reading your past blogs for about a week now (once Syd invited me to her blog, we have found your blog...cyber relationships, you know), enjoy your thoughts.
Peace Out, and Happy Lenting.
Jenny Green
Lent and fasting - both wonderful disciplines...
I find it a beautiful thing that Christ draws us closer to himself through sacrifice - when we loose or give up something...
I find it also interesting that it is not always voluntary.
I find it a beautiful thing that Christ draws us closer to himself through sacrifice - when we loose or give up something...
I find it also interesting that it is not always voluntary.
Hey Bro!!!
Long time no see!!
Love the cardboard confessional idea! Too funny!
I've enjoyed learning about advent the past couple years and celebrating it. I didn't realize that Lent was upon us having never celebrated it. I understand them both to be times to prepare the heart for the "season". One of my favorite writers (OK, she is my fave, period) Madeleine L'Engle writes about Lent in her book The Irrational Season. She is Episcopalian so has celebrated these things for years (the woman is closing in on her 90's!) but does not speak of them in a religious or legalistic manner. The preparation of her heart is a real thing, which I love. But then, she is a very real person. Inauthentic people cannot be good writers - not like the one she is.
Does this mean I should give up blogging for the season? ha ha
Long time no see!!
Love the cardboard confessional idea! Too funny!
I've enjoyed learning about advent the past couple years and celebrating it. I didn't realize that Lent was upon us having never celebrated it. I understand them both to be times to prepare the heart for the "season". One of my favorite writers (OK, she is my fave, period) Madeleine L'Engle writes about Lent in her book The Irrational Season. She is Episcopalian so has celebrated these things for years (the woman is closing in on her 90's!) but does not speak of them in a religious or legalistic manner. The preparation of her heart is a real thing, which I love. But then, she is a very real person. Inauthentic people cannot be good writers - not like the one she is.
Does this mean I should give up blogging for the season? ha ha
Well said. Not really a formula. Christs journey to Jerusalem was for Passover celebration. A Jewish holiday ordained and prescribed by God. Sacrafice and A pondering of the heart is the Lenten season. I reccomend the book: Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin Jr. Very powerful meditations for the days leading to Easter.
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