Just a quick minute for a quick thought.
Desiring to make some space in my life for God and for more awareness of Him, I decided to participate in Lent. I have been surprised and curious that so many Protestant (Evangelical) people around me are also practicing Lent; have I been oblivious to this movement the whole time?
My curiosity led me where it usually does: wikipedia. There is a really interesting article about the history of Lent right here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent . The most interesting thing that stuck out to me was that Lent was a practice of solidarity for the early church. It was a way of incorporating new Christians into the fold- a way for them to show their seriousness about their new faith.
Lent was symbolic of Jesus' forty days of fasting in the wilderness before his ministry, which is also reminiscent of the 40 years in the desert spent by the Israelites. The forty days before Easter were meant to pull back and practice poverty in order to feel afresh the richness of Jesus' rescue of us out of desert and death.
So, here is this practice of Lent all about solidarity, renunciation, preparation, and awareness. Although I'm understanding more this year about letting things go, replacing them with prayer and action, and being aware of God in a new way, I don't experience the solidarity of Lent. As a Protestant (compared to being a Catholic), I miss out on the accountability and community sorrow and practice of Lent. Not every Christian has to practice Lent, which on the broadest scale helps us escape the legalism and mindless conformity that a mandated practice would bring. But it also allows us to think that our spiritual journey is just our own. Our own to think about, our own to design, our own to practice. It feels a little lonely. Or just weird. I said at the beginning that I was participating in Lent, but doesn't participation connote a group activity?
My roommates and I have each picked different things to remove from our diet during this time, and while I am sensitive in my cheese and chocolate intake for Lauren and Suz's sake, and continue to try to ignore the Newcastle Ale and orange juice in the refrigerator, I don't feel like we are doing this together. Maybe it would help us to be more intentional to pray together, or read about Jesus, instead of, at least for me, giving in to the temptation to replace one distraction with another...
This is a learning process.
March 13, 2009
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4 comments:
Hey Anna,
I appreciated your thoughts. I too am participating in Lent this year. I actually first began to learn about Lent from your fam several years ago. I gave up listening to the radio in my car, and put tape over the buttons to remind myself. :) This year I'm entering in more deeply and finding it very rich. Some friends and I are going through a book together and that has helped, espeically with the solidarity piece. If you're interested, the book is Contemplating The Cross, by Tricia McCary Rhodes.
Much love to you! -Love, Aim
PS kisses from Aidan
Good points. I started practicing Lenten fasts three years ago. I do feel SOME sense of solidarity knowing that most of my friends are also giving up something. It might be more solidarity if we were all giving up some of the same things (like some churches will mandate), or if we indeed spent more time in prayer (I must shamefully admit that my prayer time hasn't been more than usual). The good thing is, my community dinners are silent meals, vegetarian only. So you do feel like you're practicing a form of asceticism TOGETHER.
And above all, Easter feels so much joyous after a fast. That alone makes it worthwhile.
You should blog more often. :)
precious Anna,
i had never heard of Lent or Ash Wednesday until college! which makes me laugh at how "protestant-ized" my childhood was. i find that with fasting it is much more rich to do it with people - the solidarity inspires perseverance and courage and earnestness. Matt and I have cut back on a few key substances as well for the season - so know that you are not alone and i think you're a treasure.
Hey Anna!
Good thoughts. I grew up Catholic and would usually say I was "giving up school" for lent. It didn't usually work. ;)
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