I Gave Up Non-Conformity for Lent

Being raised in a non-liturgical tradition (is that an oxymoron?  Sadly, no.), I have never observed the period of preparation leading up to Easter known as Lent.  When I was little I confused Lent with the stuff that collected in the filter of the clothes dryer in the basement.  Maybe it was the northern Ohio accent.

Lent is not specifically rooted in any Biblically parallel event or events, but is a period of forty days (probably modeled after a number of fasts in Scripture - Moses, Elijah and Jesus among them) in which the observant exercises the disciplines of repentance, fasting and giving.  In recent times the days of Lent have become increasingly secularized, and pre-Lent festivals such as Mardi Gras (celebrating the conclusion of Carnival and ending on "Fat Tuesday") have been associated more with excessive indulgence than contemplative holiness.

Growing up in a faith system which eschews creeds, man-established liturgies and observances, and the like, has created a shell around my experience and, I fear, my soul.  Like a college-bound teen looking for life experimentation, I feel a restlessness to explore the value of seasons which might strengthen the sinew of my spirit.  The core of the Lenten season can be a valuable tool for sharpening the life of faith.  For centuries Christians have observed Lent and found it to be a positive time of spiritual renewal.

And so, in spite of my almost total ignorance, I have decided to observe this season.  Daily I am reading and meditating on pre-determined Scriptures arranged thematically.  I have committed to give up candy, especially chocolate, for these forty days.  Unlike a cat giving up baths, refusing to ingest chocolate for me is truly a sacrifice.  I am more like the cat refusing to flinch as a mouse dances before its nose.  I hope that these days will also become a time of healthy self-examination.

"What attitudes within me dishonor God?"

"What habits of my life destroy relationships?"

"What disciplines have I left neglected?"

"What Kingdom issues need to more consistently dominate my thinking and behavior?"

You are invited to journey toward Resurrection Sunday with the Body of Christ.  Take time for silence and solitude, for fasting from those things which have addicted you to comfort, and for deepened times in Bible reading, prayer, confession and worship.  What are you learning about God the Father, God the Son and your soul?