Lent, 2017

Today is Fat Tuesday.  In the past, Fat Tuesday was the day in which the lard (or fat) in the house was used before being thrown out for Lent.  Lent begins tomorrow.  Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter.

·        Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai receiving the Law.

·        Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tested before beginning his public ministry.

·        We spend 40 days prior to Easter preparing for Christ’s resurrection.

I am reminded of the days of Advent, when we were symbolically preparing for Jesus’ birth.  During Advent we focused on Jesus’ birth.  During Advent we focused and on prayer and preparation, similar to these 40 days of Lent, where we are encouraged to fast, pray, and give.

Both Christmas and Easter are busy times of year with commercialization surrounding both.  However, it is important for us to still our souls in order to hear from the Lord.

It is easy to be caught up in the frenzy of prepartaions, decorations, shopping, and anticipation of gifts when, what God really wants is our open heart.

It is also easy to get side-tracked from God’s love when we focus too much on “giving up” something.  To combat this martyr syndrome, I stopped giving items up.  Instead I seek to do something extra such as do an extra devotional, have extra prayer time, or do something which focuses me on Jesus’ love and our relationship.

This year I’ve signed up for a Lent devotional from Biola University and will probably take a Saturday morning (or Thursday evening) yoga class which I expect will place me in a meditative/prayerful posture.

As I prepared for Lent this year, I read the book, The Good of Giving Up by Aaron Damiani.  Ultimately Damiani brings the reader to fasting, prayer, and giving.  In thinking about this blog, I wanted to leave my reader whith three tips for a successful Lent.  As I prepared, I thought my tips might circle these three areas provided by Damiani.

Fasting-For the first time in over a probably 20-year period, Ray and I will abstain fro meat on Fridays.  While no one with any chronic (or acute for that matter) illness should modify a diet without consulting a physician, fasting is to be used carefully. 

The point of a fast (from anything) during Lent is to remove distractions so as to focus on the relationship with Jesus.  Thus, make sure if you plan (with proper consultation) a fast, that you do it with your purpose in mind.

           

Prayer-Whether in community or in solitude, the point of our prayer is the ongoing dialogue between us and God.  Remember it is not a monologue of you droning on and on.  It is a monologue where you actually spend time listening for/to God.

Giving- Giving bestows blessings.  Regardless of the amount, God can turn our meager contributions into plenty.  God used a tiny amount to feed 5,000+.  God used water to bless guests at a wedding in Cana.  While we often think “I don’t have enough to give,” let God do the math because in God’s world, 2+2 does not equal 4!  Rather it might just be 2+2=5,000+

So while I plan on special events each week for Lent, the overall point is fast, pray, give.  May your Lent be richly blessed and your focus on the Truth.