Giving It Up!
I grew up Baptist and we never talked about Lent. Ever.
It was actually only a few years ago that I began to understand Lent as a season of preparation for Easter. Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, marks the first day or the start of the season of Lent.
Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.
I have to be honest and tell you I’m still not quite sure what I’m giving up for Lent. I’m still praying through it.
However, I would love to know…
Do you participate in Lent?
What are you giving up?
I’m giving up sugar. At least the kind found in all the candies and sweets I eat. It’s my major downfall.
What if the way you describe Lent, were the way we lived our lives 365 days a year?
I certainly think there are aspects of it that do need to be incorporated into daily living. But I do think it’s interesting that even Jesus had a start and end time to His fast.
Jesus Juke.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Pete,
We actually celebrate “anti” Lent (of sorts). It is during the 40 days after Jesus rose from the dead. Instead of giving something up, we add something to our lives. We pattern it after Lazarus and his new life after Jesus brought him back from the dead. The project is called “What would Lazarus do?”. Everyday we find a new way to celebrate being alive.
As a former (and recovering) Baptist, I can tell you that I only recently began to explore Lent and the idea of giving something up. Does it really make me think more on Jesus – or does it make me think more on what I’ve given up? If I shouldn’t be eating or drinking something anyway – is it really a tribute to God or is it simply being smarter and healthier? If I go right back to doing something after the Lent is over, what have I learned? Clearly, this is something I still don’t get. I am however, impressed by those (and I know a few) that embrace this season as more than just a trivial sacrifice (as in giving up chocolate, but not candy or beer but not wine). There are those that truly do sacrifice and I’m humbled by those actions.
Thank you for your blog – I enjoy it.
Tricia
Awesome!, nice idea!
Current Baptist, not recovering, here.
What you’re doing, Tricia — that’s exactly what my team and I will be doing with the guys from the addiction recover program at the Nashville Rescue Mission tonight (our monthly fellowship–worship gathering with them): challenging them and ourselves to think of at least one thing to do (add to our lives) each day for the 40 days of Lent. Because Christ died and rose again to give us life, we’re going to focus on John 10:10 — life in abundance! So… it’s a perfect time to celebrate that! =)
Er… recovery program… I hate my own typos. =/
Ash Wednesday always sneaks up on me. And I always feel so unprepared to make a choice for Lent. Thanks for catching my attention on Fat Tuesday.
It’s always so tempting to give up the “easy” thing. Like for me, I could say, “Oh, I’ll give up TV.” And then pat myself on the back for not watching TV – when in reality I don’t watch much as it is. It’s also easy to want to give something up that will have personal reward.
It’ll be interesting to see what God lays on my heart his year.
I’m partnering with an organization called “She is Safe.” If you give up something you typically spend money on during the week (like for me – eating out), you can take the money you save and give to their organization. Giving $180 over the 6 weeks of Lent will help rescue one girl out of sex trafficking. It’s an awesome ministry, and I’m excited to participate. You can check out details of how to get involved here: http://michellemyersonline.com/2011/02/09/improve-your-life-save-her/.
Pete, if I get a chance, this may be my one foray into the Episcopal house…for ashes to begin LENT. As for giving up something, I’d shoot for backing off email, FB, Twitter and text messaging for JUST one week, if I thought I could. Media fasting may be the new Lenten discipline for me even in meager attempts.
Thanks for raising the bar on both Christian history and spiritual discipline….Dallas Willard would be proud of you!
I grew up United Methodist, and am still a United Methodist, so I have been taught about Lent since I was a child. It wasn’t until my adult years though that I really began to grasp the concept. I partcipate in Lent,and have given up things from sweets to all meat (don’t think I will do the latter again). I have friends who have given up all bread products or one meal a day, or even fasted from breakfast & lunch on one day of the week, while others have chosed to give up TV. This year I believe I will be giving up cookies, cakes, pies, candy, and ice cream. These things are a weakness of mine, and although I have given up sweets a few times before during Lent, I feel that it is what I need to “Just Say NO!” to again this year. It may sound silly to some people to give up “goodies” but I am a Sweet-aholic, and therefore it will be a huge sacrifice for me. I believe that as people ponder on what to give up for Lent, they should really take into consideration what will truly be a sacrifice for them. Pray about it, and allow God to reveal to you exactly what you should “Just Say NO!” to during this season. Blessings to you on your Lent journey!
I am actually giving up social-media… it is time I stop letting the world know what/how I am doing and talk to God about it.
OUCH!!! Literally, out loud, OOOOUUUUCCCCHHHH!!!!! That just about knocked the breath out of me. I think I really needed to read that although I almost wish I hadn’t :/
My church does a “Give Up, Give Back” campaign. We encourage people to save the money from what they gave up (chocolate, soda, alcohol, fast food, etc.) OR if they gave up facebook or t.v. or something like that to put a quarter in a jar everytime they have the urge to break their fast. The money saved/collected is brought to church and used to support Africa University (africa.edu).
I preached this past Sunday about Give Up, Give Back and how lent shouldn’t be a time to give up something just to make some new rule so God will be proud, but how giving something up means we have something available for God to use in our life to transform us! I see Lent as a time to install some filters in my life to filter out my stumbling blocks on my spiritual walk. Taking away the time and energy that I devote to Facebook (what I’m giving up this year) means that I have more time and energy to present to God for spiritual transformation. I want to be a different person on Easter Sunday than I am on Ash Wednesday and that won’t happen unless I do something differently and give God more room to work in my life.
A friend wrote a great blog post about Lent being a time to resist our normal patterns and let God do something different in us! http://www.saltproject.org/salt-blog/resist.html
Finally, I don’t think Lent should be the way we live all year. We should live into the cycle of fasting and feasting that Jesus would have expected us to practice. When he preached the sermon on the mount in Matthew he said, “when you fast” not “if you fast.” We can’t really feast if everyday is a feast day…and He doesn’t expect our whole life to be a fast because we have too much to celebrate living this abundant life through His resurrection!
No, I don’t participate in Lent. Not that it’s not a great thing, it’s just that I choose to fast at the beginning of the year throughout the whole month of January. It’s something my church has been doing recently as well. We don’t just give up one thing though, most of us fasted from food or did a Daniel fast (only ate fruits and veggies). It was awesome and hard all at the same time.
BTW- I also fast during other times of year as God leads. January isn’t my one and only “fasting month”.
I blogged about what I was doing for Lent here.
http://jennroogles.blogspot.com/2011/03/lent-to-add-or-subtract.html
I am giving up Facebook, Email, and TV….the things that take the most time away from God and my Family.
Growing up in a Charismatic type church, I also never really participated in Lent. I’ve fasted for other reasons and seasons, but never Lent. Now that I’m in Israel, I do however celebrate Pesach, which is just about equally difficult, eating all that Matsa for 8 days
Growing up Catholic, Lent was a big thing… I guess giving up something, like candy (as a kid) – but mostly a time to examine our lives and to prepare for Easter, thinking how Jesus gave us his own life for us.
I haven’t thought about a specific thing to give up in years.. but your blog has me thinking. I’m already a vegetarian who eats a low fat diet -ha! It would probably have to be something like… not watching The Housewives of Atlanta or something. ha
I grew up Catholic so I have been thinking a lot about lent even though I go to a bible church now. So I’ve decided that I’m giving up something for lent, and it is gossiping. It’s been getting out of hand lately… #typicalgirl
I grew up Baptist too and it wasn’t until I started working at a Presbyterian college that I heard about it. Last year I observed it and didn’t take it very seriously. This year I’m approaching it with a different mindset. I’m giving up Facebook and using the time spent on snooping in others’ lives to focus study on Christ, my walk with Him, and seeking discernment about a big decision He’s placed in my path.
Carbonated Beverages. This is the third time I’ve given up soft drinks for lent, but I always let them creep back into my life somehow.
I was always taught that it’s easy to give something up (chocolate, television, etc), but Lent took on a whole new meainging for me when I added something to my daily routine. Added a new book, a new conversation, journaling, a new discipline, whatever it was, and that changed the season for me. I also have added Fasting in the past (which is both adding and taking away I suppose).
I love lent. One year someone asked me “Will you be any different on ressurection Sunday or will it just be another Sunday?” And that caused me to think and to answer I really want that day to mean something more, so what am I going to do about it.
I grew up in the Baptist church of one type or another, attended Methodist churches for a little while then back to baptist, my husband and I converted to the Catholic church about 7 years go but last year I left the Catholic church and now attend an evangelical free church so in all of that wandering and rambling no church I’d ever attended even spoke of Lent unless it was in the context of anti-catholic. Every Catholic I’d ever known always seemed to treat Lent so casually – to the extent that it appeared to be just another 40 day diet with very little spiritual connection. My first couple of Lent seasons in the Catholic church were very special for me but I haven’t really observed Lent at all the last few years.
I do think that I will this year and I have been asking God to show me in what way He wants me to participate in Lent this year. For me it’s not about just giving up something but its also about replacing that thing with something that causes me to focus more fully on Christ. That’s where there is such fullness in celbrating Lent – otherwise, for me it just becomes an empty ritual or a diet plan.
I have been struggling with the decision to give up recreational use of the internet for Lent. I think if I make it a week I will consider it a small victory, but I guess that’s the point. If it is that hard to give up then maybe it has a little too high of a priotity in my life and I need to take this time to choose God instead. I did not grow up with Lent either but in the last few years I have seen it as an opportunity to learn to discipline myself to choose God instead.
This will be my 5th or 6th time participating in Lent. The first couple times I did it, I gave up things like junk food, pop & other stuff like that…which was really hard since I was in college, then 3rd time I gave up video games (still in college) & oddly enough my grades stayed about the same place.
But the past 2 years I’ve approached Lent from a different & more serious perspective. Instead of cutting something out of my life that I should probably cut down on anyway, I decided to add a spiritual practice each year. The first year I got up earlier than usual to really engage in quiet time, the second year I got back into journaling & got more serious about how I pray. This year is proving to be a little more difficult because I find myself in the same boat, I’m not sure what else to do. I’ve been praying about it for a couple weeks now & still quite can’t put my finger on it.
So, to make a long comment short, I will be participating, but I’m not sure what I’ll be adding this year. Any thoughts?
I love the idea of adding verse giving up. Don’t really have anything else for you but love the idea.
Never really thought much about Lent. I had profs in undergrad who came into class one Wednesday a year with dirty foreheads, but I was always taught “That’s something Catholics do, and we’re NOT Catholic.” But focusing on Jesus and his church isn’t Catholic in the denominational sense. It is catholic in the universal church sense though–so maybe I’ll give something up and try to focus on Christ all the more.
Can I give up FB for Lent, even if I started early? You know how some dieters get through an urge by saying “Do I want this more than God?”, that’s how I get through FB withdrawals. I don’t just not go there, I deleted my account. (even if my faithful friend FB holds it for me exactly as is.)
I also grew up Baptist and didn’t even know what Lent was until my junior year of college when I had 2 Catholic roommates. One of them came home on Ash Wednesday after receiving her ashes and I told her she had some crap on her forehead.
This is my 2nd year ‘Lenting’. This year was a no-brainer for me…I gasped & cringed (on the inside) when it came to mind, -it’s the right thing. I’m giving up my i-pad. Well, everything but the Ephesians commentary I downloaded to use in our Bible Study. Everything else is off-limits. It’s definitely something that I use ALOT (say ‘obsessively’), and my heart tells me that I need more God, less apple.
That’s big Cindy!!
While I spent my childhood as a baptist, all of my friends grew up catholic. Every year when Lent rolled around, I would give up something with them so that we all went through that process together. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would be giving up this year to prepare for Easter. After Sunday’s message, I’ve spent a lot of time reevaluating my heart and my capacity to love. I throw around the word ‘love’ so freely, but don’t truly know how to love well. So for Lent, I’ve decided to give up the ownership of my heart…to allow God to teach me how to love and how to be loved the way that I should. I think my generation tends to be so careless with our hearts and I’m ready for a ‘new normal’. So I’ll spend 40 days writing notes to people and giving encouragement and asking God to let me see his people the way that he sees them. I’m excited for it, too!
I’m also giving up sodas and ice cream, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
I”m really digging that.
if i am being honest, cutting something out mostly just makes me annoyed and doesn’t usually help me grow closer to God
my pastor/boss just spoke on lent to our mops group and said the same thing – which is why he usually adds something. he said one year, he decided to thank someone who had an impact on his life for each day of lent… which turns out to be a lot of people! for one day, he tracked down one of his middle school teachers to thank her. he didn’t know it before he called her, but she was dying of cancer. a couple of months later, after she died, her kids called him to tell him what a huge impact that had on her in her last months of life, to know that she did make a difference in her students’ lives. how cool is that?!
Amy -During lent one year, a college friend of mine sent letters to the people in her life to tell them how much they meant to her. When I rec’d mine it was so heart-warming. Your post helped to remind me of this. Great idea!
As a kid we always observed Lent. Its not just about giving up an addiction (which alot of people do) but also giving up small things that you may realize even the little things tend to interfere with our walk with God. Having to have that morning cup before ANYTHING else or just changing an attitude you are accustomed to. Fasting from…denying yourself those things that interfere so you can focus on the bigger picture. I guess thats my take on it. Its been along time since I went to that church from decades ago.
I too did not grow up participating in Lent. A few years I’ve said I was going to, but mainly to use it as a “diet”. I never truly even knew the meaning behind it. Pete, your post has really sparked something in me today. I am going to take these 40 days and cut something out, but in return replace those times that I think about whatever I remove from my life and focus on the sacrifice the Lord made for me. I am going to focus this year on learning more about the true meaning behind Easter, teaching it to my two little ones, and giving praise to Jesus for such a gift. I’m excited and now must decide what to give up because there are PLENTY to choose from!
I have never participated in Lent. To be honest, it’s something I used to think that only Catholics took part in (I’m Baptist as well). It seemed, around here, that I only ever heard Catholics talking about giving up junk food, coffee, smoking, etc. for Lent, and not people of other denominations.
It has been only within the last couple of years that I began hearing others (non-Catholics) talking about taking part in Lent. To be honest (again), I haven’t even given Lent a thought. It’s not that I don’t think Lent is important, or only for certain denominations…I guess it’s just not something I practice. I suppose it might be a good thing to take part in, but I don’t know if I will…does that make me a bad Christian?
Nope, not at all.
Since my momma passed, and I have remained jobless, you’d think I have all the time in the world to pray, read scripture, and reflect. Unfortunately, my discipline has deteriorated to the point where I no longer keep any schedule at all, and waste time on I don’t even know what… My Lenten promise is to schedule my time the night before, and to give up whatever doesn’t fall into that schedule. Obviously if a friend or family member calls because they need help, I can reassess the schedule. But some things like getting dressed, praying, and reading / reflecting on scripture will be “set in stone.”
I know it sounds like a trivial “sacrifice” when so many people are over scheduled today.
I’m Lutheran. Lent is a big stinkin’ deal to us! I’ve been engagin Lent (or not!) for as long as I can remember. But unlike our Catholic cousins, the fasting bit has never been as big a deal to us. It often takes different forms. The “giving up by adding in” has been an emphasis over the last few years, as in “give up a distant relationship with God by adding more prayer to your life for 46 days and see what happens”. As someone who heads up our worship ministry team, it fell to me to put together the service for tomorrow night and I landed on Isaiah 58 for the Scripture. I’m not really sure what my Lenten ritual will be this year. Last year it was a FB fast but I’m not called to that this year as I was a year ago. So I’m not sure what it will be this year, but I intend to put some serious time in with that chapter from Isaiah and see what I could do that would accomplish purpose for the fast.
Blessings!
I attend a Baptist church and have all my life…didn’t really know what Lent was until a few years ago.
This year will be the first year I observe Lent. I’ve decided to participate in Lent 2011:Relentless Acts of Justice through World Vision Acts. I’m excited about what God wants to do in my heart through this process.
But I’ll be honest…Lent makes me a little nervous. I grew up with lots of legalism. I don’t want Lent or anything else I do to come out of obligation or as a means to check something off my list. I want it to come from a heart desiring Jesus MORE than ANYTHING. I want my motive to be pure, or else, it’s just another thing I’m doing in my own power.
I gave up giving up a while ago… I don’t like giving up things, because I would do it for the wrong reasons. Instead, I am going to try to add a spiritual discipline… I just haven’t decided which one to add as of yet.
I too suffered from il-LENT-ereicy most of my life. I grew up Baptist as well, and Lent was never a part of my small town vocabulary until I went to college and didn’t understand why there were students with dirt on their foreheads.
Since then I’ve been more aware of Lent, and honestly get upset with the way people view it. Yes, I have only recently (8 years ago) been introduced to this term and its practice, but I find that most people use lent as a way of dieting, giving up sugar, sweets, processed food, workingout more. Lent seems to be a practice of retrying your News Years Resolutions.
I’m bad at Lent, because I let it sneak up on my, but I try to want to find something that I can give up, even if for only 5 days a week that distracts me from God and Christ. The way the practice, I thought, was first started. Maybe turn off the TV or Twitter more, spend more time with people face to face in Godly Community instead of digitally.
I need to spend this time getting closer to the Cross before we get to Easter.
This year I am cutting back on social/media outlets. I do not want to unplug from Facebook completely because I work with the youth and I feel it is important to stay connected to them. However, I also realize that I often use the excuse of it being a ‘ministry tool’ when in actuality–a lot of the time it is just for fun. So, I am limiting Facebook time to a couple of hours in the evening versus having it up and active throughout the day. I am also limiting television to just a couple of hours in the evening. But…more important than what I’m giving up is what I’m adding.
Over the next 40 days I am hoping to establish some regular quiet times with God that will become permanent in my life long after Lent has passed. I am looking forward to opening my Bible versus checking the DVR and spending time in prayer versus chatting on Facebook. It’s amazing how things seep into our God time without us even realizing it. I can’t wait to hand that time back to Him:)
I grew up Baptist and am a recovered “Bapticostal”. But in the area I grew up the religious majority was Catholic. So I learned about Lent through my friends of the Catholic faith. I have never really felt the need or the call to “give-up” something, but after reading the posts of Lenting through the “addition” of something that addresses a deeper relationship with the Father and with others, I think I am going to spend more time in the Word, but also, I am going to replace my normal sarcastic status posts on FB to a more encouraging and uplifting status. Maybe I can reach some who are hurting…
I was raised Baptist and became Catholic when I was 13. I still somewhat practice the rituals like Lent. I don’t give up like I use to but give back by trying to learn something from the Bible. I read three chapters daily.
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church and only knew about the ‘giving up’ traditions because I had a lot of Catholic friends. I don’t give anything up but I do focus my heart on the meaning of the season and like to have something special to read each day. I’m reading Bread and Wine-readings for Easter and Lent….it is a collection of writings by CS Lewis, Chesteron, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, Brennan Manning and many more. Some I’m not familiar with but since I recognized many of the names I thought I’d give it a try.
I loved doing the Resurrection Eggs with my girls when they were younger.
No sacrifice we can make during Lent will even come close to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, but if giving up something makes one reflect upon and appreciate His ultimate sacrifice more, then it is a good thing.
I have given up everything from cokes, to sweets, to potatoes, to bread. (bread didn’t seem that bad until I realized no sandwiches!) Then a few years ago I realized that in the process of giving things up – I made the journey more about me and less about Him. So I began to look for things to do that were giving up my time & my focus from other things & placing them on Him. Things I should be doing anyway but let the world get in the way. So this year my goal is to do a prayer journal & really be committed to it every day. Not just days when my life isn’t a whirlwind.
Last year I gave up Facebook during Lent. It was wonderful how much time was freed up to spend studying the Bible and listening to Christian podcasts instead. This year I am giving up complaining. (This could be a bigger challenge than FB); I have asked God to help me to hear myself when the words are coming out of my mouth!
I would love to learn more about Lent. I think it, like many things in the Christian faith, can be misunderstood or misused. Two things I am giving up? Guilt and shame.
Boo yea!
I do practice Lent, but I do it a bit differently. Not only do I fast from things that could easily be a distraction in my life, I also live to the character qualities and disciplines I want to see in my life more.
This year, I am Fasting From:
- TV after 10pm each night
- Pop
- Social Media after 10pm each night and one full night a week
Live To:
- Times of silence each day
- Being intentional in relationships
- Prayer/Reflection at the same time each day
Pete,
I’m with you. As a Southern Baptist I never gave anything up for Lent. That was always something my Catholic friends at school did that I thought was silly. Until last year…
I wanted to walk through the experience of sacrificing for Lent and so I gave up sweet tea. May not sound like a lot, right? But for me, a true Southern girl who drank 4-5 HUGE glasses a day, it was a great thing. And, I learned so much through that process. Every time I wanted a glass, I prayed. Every time I thought about what I was giving up, I prayed. It was amazing the closeness to God that I felt (and the regular prayer that ensued) because of giving up something for Lent. Plus, to date, I rarely drink sweet tea anymore. So, I defeated a bad habit to boot.
This year I’m giving up desserts. As I type that it seems so permanent, like you’re now going to hold me to it! Haha! I guess that’s part of it, right? Being held accountable. I’d love to know what you end up sacrificing. And, it would be great to hear how it goes for you between now and Easter.
Best,
Heather
Last year I observed my first Lenten fast. I actually just blogged about it last night (see link, below). I gave up sugar last year.
I still haven’t committed to what to do this year, but I’m coming to love this preparation time for the Easter celebration. It really heightened my awareness of all that Christ gave up for us on the cross.
giving up bitterness, as much as possible, for lent.. to see how it feels to walk through the world, a little softer around the edges.
I’ve never participated in Lent. It is something that I need to do some more study on.
I grew up Baptist as well, so I never really participated in the act of giving up something for lent. However, I have decided to do something a little different this year. I took 40 strips of paper, put names and prayer requests on them, and put them all in a basket. Each day, I draw one strip of paper and pray very specifically for that individual. =)
This year, it looks as though I have given up myself. At first, I had no idea what it was that I was going to “give up” – but over the past week, it has laid upon my heart that I have been holding onto a whole lot that I do not need to be any longer. So this lent season marks the beginning of just giving myself up to Him…thankfully I am in Christian counseling during this time too!