I celebrated Shrove Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) in style by gorging myself on half-priced appetizers at Applebees with some friends last night. Ah, the feast before the fast.
So overall I'm pretty bad at the whole giving something up for Lent thing. I was much better at it as a kid when 'because you're supposed to' was a good enough reason for me to give up cookies or salad dressing or whatever. But once I actually understand the purpose of giving something up (ie. cultivating a longing for Christ and identifying with his suffering), I had a really hard time thinking of things that would have that impact on my life, rather than just self-denying for its own sake.
But this year I'm back on it. The plan is to eat bland food, because life without Jesus would be bland. This being the first day of Lent, I'm not exactly sure yet what that will look like, but I figure there'll be a lot of rice, bread, hummus, and meat without sauce involved. I think I should still be able to eat pretty healthfully on this plan, and by the time Easter comes around I will definitely be longing for something with flavor.
There is much discussion on campus about the imposition of ashes. Are they self-righteous, it is meaningful, is it a good witness, etc. Thoughts?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
This is how I know your little world is awesome: "There is much discussion on campus about the imposition of ashes." :P
I like your Lent idea. Sounds challenging and focused...
...and contrasts significantly from most the Lent-as-a-diet plans I've heard lately.
On ashes: depends on the individual's heart at that moment. There are days when I would do it as a self-righteous show. There are days when it would be supremely meaningful to have that tangible reminder that I have been taken out of dust. With prayer and humble preparation, ashes can be fabulous. Like just about any ritual, I suppose.
On lent: Good work! We had a little discussion about giving stuff up for lent at small group, and ended up deciding we had to search our lives for what held us back the most - and give it up or replace it with something spiritually productive. Yours fits the bill!
B: And that's why my lenten plans have carefully stayed far away from giving up food. Inevitably giving up desserts becomes Mary-losing-10-pounds-centric, and it's so easy to go there. It's so much harder to think of something truly sacrificial.
Post a Comment