The season of Lent is almost upon us (see what I did there?).
Lent has always occupied an odd corner of my existence. As a family growing up Episcopalian and then Lutheran, Lent was not something we ever talked a great deal about or did anything for. It was mostly a church related activity: the hangings changed, the altar cloths changed, the service excluded certain portions. I knew of Shrove Tuesday (because we always went to the pancake breakfast) and Ash Wednesday (which we occasionally went to). It was only later in high school and after college that more of Lent came into view, fueled partially by my friendship with Uisdean Ruadh (a very strong Catholic) and partially by reading more about the history of Lent.
There have been years when I "gave up" certain things for Lent (sugar is the one that regularly made its appearance, although other things have appeared from time to time, like social media or some activity). There have also been times when I tried to "add" something as a practice - here prayer or reading a particular work.
Interestingly, I do not know that either version particularly changed or improved my Lenten experience.
One of the better ones I remember is reading John Chapters 13-19 weekly. There are seven chapters (which, conveniently, fit into a week's worth of reading) and it covers from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion of Christ. It certainly fit well into the somber tone of Lent, reading of Christ's last hours.
I have not fully decided what I am doing this year for Lent - likely a combination of giving some things up and doing some other things. What is not certain in either category, other than it has to be something that is a noticeable change to my life.
A general question: How do you observe Lent?
I recall as a teen and young adult that it was the custom to give up meat during the entire Lenten season and eat fish instead. Except I never cared much for meat and preferred fish anyway. Somehow the exercise always seemed backward for me. But I never switched it because I knew no one would understand.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I can't say that I do. Observe Lent. I'm one who considers all days equally holy (Rom. 14:5). But it is a reminder that life as it seems through human experience is temporal. It's not our final destination and that its purpose is not to be happy, but to learn Christlikeness, and learning Christlikeness requires sacrifice. It's a very daily journey.
Leigh, I certainly think the absence of meat is a common one (Catholicism does this regularly as I recall).
DeleteThat is a valuable perspective, that Lent is not any different from any other season - but is a season to reflect on Life's temporal nature.
I mostly grew up in a Methodist family and my experience with Lent was much like yours. Mostly it was just something that was mentioned.
ReplyDeleteBut I married a Catholic and eventually became Catholic myself and Lent is a very moving part of the year for us. Besides the week before Ash Wednesday when we burn the old palm to create ash for Ash Wednesday itself and Lenten Fridays, we have an entire week that we dedicate ourselves to Lent called Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday and the distribution of palms that will become next year's ashes. Holy Thursday celebrating the last supper and meaning of the Eucharist comes next followed by Good Friday where we read the Passion every year. They there is the very moving ceremony of Holy Saturday as we set watch over Jesus's body in the tomb awaiting his rising on Easter Sunday.
I guess overall for me, it has just been one of those things that I have found the more I give, the more it gives back. Like you, I used to give up things but in the last decade or so, I have gone the other way and added things usually with the goal to increase my faith and I have gotten more from that.
Thanks Ed! I had forgotten the part about burning the past year's palm crosses for the current year's ashes.
DeleteThere is something about seasonality of the church calendar in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions that can be missing from others (although, to be fair, I was often confused by the totality of the seasons). I do like the idea of adding things instead of subtracting them, if for no other reason that in feels like a "active" activity instead of a passive one.
Can remember when growing up attending the "main" church service and then trundling off to church school while the service continued. After confirmation we attended Holy Communion service at 8AM, both these happened during Lent and Dad made sure we attended Psalm Sunday services. Meat was off the menu during Lent, at home and school. Church service, reading the family Bible and giving somethings up TB and remembering those three words also.
ReplyDeleteNylon12, your experience was very similar to mine. As with my comment with Ed above, I do think that non-denominational and Evangelical churches miss some of the experience by not paying more attention to traditional church calendar days like Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday.
DeleteAs an old protestor, the high church is still a mystery to me. However, I read about an elderly woman that attended a Catholic church in the old country. He explained that the church would give up heat during Lent. He asked everyone what they were giving up for Lent after service as they filed out. The old woman asked if she'd heard correctly, "you did say the church is giving up heat, yes?". "Yes, my daughter, that is correct." "Ah" she replied, "then I am giving up church!"
ReplyDelete