Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian Lenten season. As much as I hate to admit this, I honestly had not even thought about any part of Lent since my husband had mentioned something to me last week about trying to do some sort of reading or such as we had done in a previous year.
Isn't it ironic that Lent has lost so much meaning to many Christians (many churches make no mention of it) while at the same time I can read about a non-believer giving up candy, shopping, drinking, swearing or what not? What is it that compels someone to want to change even though it truly has no deeper meaning? It is almost as if Lent has taken on the same aura that seems to surround New Years resolutions.
While it is all good and such to give up things that cause us to falter, is giving up something for a mere 40 (technically 46) days really going to make a difference? From what I understand, the traditional understanding of Lent was to give up something we loved and add in something to bring us closer to God (prayer, meditation, etc...). Lent was to remind us of the 40 days of fasting and temptation Jesus endured in the dessert before he began his ministry. (the number 40 has many other significant meanings in the Bible as well) but when did the second half of the equation get lost? It isn't often you hear about what people are doing to replace what they are giving up... but is instead just a time where they can tout how tough it is to give up a Milky Way candy bar fetish.
I personally haven't been compelled to randomly give up something just to do my duty. I could give up eating candy or facebook (I have saw this as a common choice this year), the internet as a whole or even Starbucks (gulp!) BUT would any of those choices truly draw me to a deeper understanding of what Jesus endured for me? Would any of those draw deeper into relationship with Him? I personally would have to say no. While those things are some things I enjoy, it would do nothing to change my relationship with Christ and honestly, it just all seems futile to me. What about when you give in to your temptation, when the reminder ashes are washed away and you fall down?
Instead of giving something up (honestly, if we are truly wanting to give up certain vices, why wait till Lent?) I hope to spend this time growing closer to Him and not just knowing the Easter story but actually allowing it to penetrate me and hit me like it did the first time I heard it and truly understood. Maybe I never truly have understood, I mean honestly, can I really ever truly grasp what those days were all about? I pray that Easter is more than the bunny, new clothes and a pomp and circumstance service this year, I pray that Easter isn't just a date but a whole mentality I take into my daily life.
(for more information on the origins of Lent visit... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent)
Isn't it ironic that Lent has lost so much meaning to many Christians (many churches make no mention of it) while at the same time I can read about a non-believer giving up candy, shopping, drinking, swearing or what not? What is it that compels someone to want to change even though it truly has no deeper meaning? It is almost as if Lent has taken on the same aura that seems to surround New Years resolutions.
While it is all good and such to give up things that cause us to falter, is giving up something for a mere 40 (technically 46) days really going to make a difference? From what I understand, the traditional understanding of Lent was to give up something we loved and add in something to bring us closer to God (prayer, meditation, etc...). Lent was to remind us of the 40 days of fasting and temptation Jesus endured in the dessert before he began his ministry. (the number 40 has many other significant meanings in the Bible as well) but when did the second half of the equation get lost? It isn't often you hear about what people are doing to replace what they are giving up... but is instead just a time where they can tout how tough it is to give up a Milky Way candy bar fetish.
I personally haven't been compelled to randomly give up something just to do my duty. I could give up eating candy or facebook (I have saw this as a common choice this year), the internet as a whole or even Starbucks (gulp!) BUT would any of those choices truly draw me to a deeper understanding of what Jesus endured for me? Would any of those draw deeper into relationship with Him? I personally would have to say no. While those things are some things I enjoy, it would do nothing to change my relationship with Christ and honestly, it just all seems futile to me. What about when you give in to your temptation, when the reminder ashes are washed away and you fall down?
Instead of giving something up (honestly, if we are truly wanting to give up certain vices, why wait till Lent?) I hope to spend this time growing closer to Him and not just knowing the Easter story but actually allowing it to penetrate me and hit me like it did the first time I heard it and truly understood. Maybe I never truly have understood, I mean honestly, can I really ever truly grasp what those days were all about? I pray that Easter is more than the bunny, new clothes and a pomp and circumstance service this year, I pray that Easter isn't just a date but a whole mentality I take into my daily life.
(for more information on the origins of Lent visit... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent)
