Comments on: Preparing for Lent

By: Preparing for a Change of Season « Dwell Richly

Preparing for a Change of Season « Dwell Richly — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:57:56 +0000

[...] Lent as Transformation [...]

By: Rebecca Hall

Rebecca Hall — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:32:37 +0000

I'm very late to this conversation, but I love Lent so I thought I'd offer my belated two cents. My church encourages people to add some practice or discipline, not take something away for Lent. I did this for years and was always enriched. But last year I decided to do something different and actually deny myself something – coffee. As you noted, it didn't seem to do much other than make my mornings hell and force me to come up with alternatives (that didn't do the trick) like tea and soda. But as the weeks wore on I came to understand and recognize the wisdom in what I was doing. Following Jesus, as we all know, is a way, a path. But what do we do when the paths we have in our lives are really ruts? Turns out, Lent is just the amount of time necessary to create new paths, new ruts that orient our lives toward God. Coffee doesn't necessarily keep me from God, but other habits I have might. I now have the experience of forging a new path and I can apply that to any area of my life. It was a very liberating experience, ironically enough. So, I agree with you wholeheartedly that Lent is about transformation. I'm not saying it is the only or best thing to do, but self-denial is one way to get there.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:13:18 +0000

Late to see this post–but SO fantastic. Thank you Julie.

By: Cathy_H

Cathy_H — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:33:47 +0000

Hey, Happy was right! This is a beautiful post. Thank you!

–Cathy

By: Noella

Noella — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:31:09 +0000

I was raised Catholic and continue to be. I'm all in favor if someone wants to give up something to better their lives, health ects. The point they miss is that as we fast we should direct some attention to God's word, the bible, songs of praise, and anything that is fruitful to the soul. One pastor on TV says that if you fast and pray and dedicate time to God… he will answer your prayers. I believe that if we give up something that actually costs money, it would be wise to give it elsewhere, where it will benefit someone in a helpful Christian way.
If anyone has a good song of praise for the season that can be sung in church, I would gladly accept the help. I heard one by Cutlus..don't know if that's how you spell it, but I believe it's #1 on the charts… It's about faith.

By: kerry

kerry — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:49:41 +0000

Julie, thanks for this discussion. Our home group (in a non-liturgical church) has been using the lectionary, and practicing Advent and Lent for almost 2 years which has been very helpful and a source of surprises. The blog discussion covers a lot of the same ground that we did last Lent….with many of us concluding the need to add something to our lives.

By: Phil Anthony

Phil Anthony — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:41:24 +0000

I'm minded of a poem I published in our local Quaker newsletter ten or eleven years ago:

Indwelling
Thomas Edward Brown (1876)

If thou could empty thyself of self,
as to a shell disinhabited,
Then might God find thee on the ocean shelf,
and say, “This is not dead,”
and fill thee with Himself instead.

But thee are all replete with very thou,
and hath such shrewd activity,
That, when God comes, says,
“This is enow unto itself—
’twere better to let it be;
’tis so small and full,
there is no room for me.”

By: Phil Anthony

Phil Anthony — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:39:32 +0000

I'm minded of a poem I published in our local Quaker newsletter ten or eleven years ago:

Indwelling
Thomas Edward Brown (1876)

If thou could empty thyself of self,
as to a shell disinhabited,
Then might God find thee on the ocean shelf,
and say, “This is not dead,”
and fill thee with Himself instead.

But thee are all replete with very thou,
and hath such shrewd activity,
That, when God comes, says,
“This is enow unto itself—
’twere better to let it be;
’tis so small and full,
there is no room for me.”

By: Links for February 17th | jonathan stegall: creative tension

Links for February 17th | jonathan stegall: creative tension — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:11:39 +0000

[...] Preparing for Lent | onehandclapping [...]

By: Caedmon

Caedmon — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:46:32 +0000

In the small, non-liturgical church I attend, we began a journey last November into the traditional church calendar. While I grew up liturgical, many in our family-of-faith had never heard of Lent.

We have included fasting as part of our communal practice this season. However, as Julie writes, we are careful to remember denial is not an end in itself. We have chosen to fast as a community not only for our own transformation, but to enter into – even if only by dipping our toes – the suffering of those who do not choose their daily fast. This is part of the old tradition, as well. Also part of tradition is taking the food we did not eat (or the money not spent on groceries) and giving it to those who are hungry, so that the "feast" of Easter is shared.