lent is 40 days of fasting just as Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism (Matt 4:2)
It's a season in the church of simplicity
practiced in most tradiational, orthodox churches
a time of prayer, fasting, and service
from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday
Typically we now see the season of lent being celebrated traditionally by the Catholic and Lutheran churches around the country. Every wednesday from Ash Wednesday (which is today), until Easter, people gather to celebrate and remember the events that took place leading up to the death and ressurection of our Savior. However it is recognized by all denominations.
It is also extremely common for Christians to give something up during the 40 days. Normally you hear of the child giving up their favorite toy, or someone giving up sweets or soda. However you often don't hear the heart behind their giving. And sometimes they don't even know why they are giving it up.
This lent season I have been inspired by a local church's "theme" to spend the next 40 days focusing on what Christ does for me through lent by using "re:" in front of a certain word each week. Example this week the word is re:lent. God is re:lentless in the way he persues me, invests in me, and loves me. I also have decided to give something up. I normally don't give anything up. My heart is never fully in it, which usually means I'm too selfish and posessive to give up something for that long. I've been really convicted lately though to check my heart and desires about what I'm doing vs what is pleasing to God. So in a flash of a moment God reminded me that it is not about the thing I surrender/give up, it is about my heart behind it. With that said I am giving up....drum roll please....
FACEBOOK!!
Yes that is right, 40 days without facebook. If you know me at all, you know this will be hard. I use facebook for ministry with students (my job). To connect with distant friends and family. I use it to schedule hang out times with friends. Check in and see what my immediate family is doing (they only live 10 minutes away so this is actually aweful when I think about it). I even use it to check up on people that I work with, live with and love to death. It is really sad though that I chose facebook instead of picking up the phone and calling. It is sad that I have to look at someone's status to see that they've had a bad day or that they just made the soccer team. So for the next 40 days I'm going to use the time I spend on facebook to send cards to friends via snailmail. I'll use it to call/text students to see how their day is going. In the wee hours of the night my time will now be spent reading books instead of "news feeds". Maybe I'll even update this blog more often with some good meaty material and not just random life updates.
If you need me then call, text, email or tweet but don't facebook me.
Love ya all,
A
