A special prayer or devotional practice?
Some kind of community service?
Giving up TV/blogging/Mountain Dew?
Is your church doing anything as a congregation to mark Lent, such as an organized service project or a special series of worship services?
Check one or more answers in the poll, and please share the details in the comment section below!
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February 6, 2008 at 19:21
giving up arstechnica.com, though I’m still spending almost as much time surfing the web as before. I think I should fast from youtube too, or at least not use it after about 10pm. The related videos box is a real time sink.
February 6, 2008 at 20:29
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word Lent spoken at our church in the last 30 years. There are 6,000 members of this church. I have never heard the word Ash Wednesday, or Maundy Thursday at church either. When I took a college class on the literature of the Inklings our professor was horrified that no one in the class was aware of some of these liturgical days. We had to understand them to catch the references and allusions in Charles Williams and other writers of the time. So I learned. But realize that you rarely hear these terms in traditions such as Baptist, Christian Missionary Alliance, Nazarene, Assembly of God, Foursquare, Church of God In Christ (COGIC) and many others. So, I checked off devotions and scripture reading, but I do this daily anyway.
February 7, 2008 at 06:56
I second Rick’s comments – although I attended a liturgical church for about 20 years (PCUSA) and kept these days – we are now in a “bible” church and somehow it seems the church leadership sees no value in the liturgical calendar. I think it is a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater – while attempting to be rid of legalism, they mistakenly put too much in the bathwater and tossed it all out the window. Honestly – I miss it a lot -
February 7, 2008 at 07:15
Hey, I just want to say I love Jesus, I have a hard time giving ne thing up at all. Pray for me,k thx
February 7, 2008 at 08:36
After 15 years of Catholic upbringing I think this year I’ll commemorate Lent by remembering how miserable it all was and how free I now am! Maybe I’ll also contemplate Romans 14…
February 7, 2008 at 10:33
With respect to those who find meaning in Lenten observances, I see no scriptural basis for having a “partial” time of humility and self-sacrifice. The implication seems to be that the day after Resurrection Sunday, we can all go back to our bad habits. I know that’s not the intent, but I try (not always successfullly) to be a disciplined disciple all year round…
February 7, 2008 at 13:26
I think some of us misunderstand the practice of “giving something up” for Lent. This is not a time to “give up” that which we do not like, or know we ought not to do. We always try to do the right all year round. During Lent we give up something special to us, to remind us of what God the Father and God the Son gave up for us. The Father, His Son, the Son His heavenly home and ultimately His death. When we would normally partake of this “sacrifice” perhaps we could use that mental jolt to remind us again of God’s sacrifice.Peace
February 7, 2008 at 16:48
Our pastor suggests that rather than “giving up” something for Lent, we add something that will bring a spiritual benefit. Everyone in our church was given a new Lenten devotional to follow; and in addition to that, I’ve decided to start decluttering my house for at least 15 minutes every day. I’ve been really feeling convicted lately about the sheer number of possessions I’ve amassed, and I’m sure it’s hurting my relationship with God. I’m the worst about keeping something because I might need it someday. (I’m sure that comes from being raised by depression era parents who kept everything.) The fact is, I’m showing a lack of faith in God if I keep everything because I don’t trust him to provide for me when the need arises. I keep thinking about how much better it will be to donate something I don’t use, so it can be used by someone who needs it right now.
February 7, 2008 at 16:51
I am giving up sweets for 40 days which is a big deal for me. I am also doing morning devotional out of Max Lucado’s “3:16 The Numbers of Hope” and an evening devotional out of David Jeremiah’s “Signs of Life.” I was already busy enough but I think that’s the point: slow down and contemplate what God has done for us through Jesus.
February 8, 2008 at 13:03
Have the ThinkChristian writers stopped posting for lent?
February 8, 2008 at 13:18
John: not at all
Don’t fret too much, we’ll have something for you soon.
February 8, 2008 at 14:13
It is funny until I left the Southern Baptist denomination; I had never seen anyone on their knees or asked to give up anything in church. Now that I am an Episcopalian I embrace lent and what it has to offer. I realize ritual can become meaningless, like my mother says about having communion every Sunday, but I find meaning in it every time I participate. Yes ‘Lent” is not in the Bible, just like Christmas, Easter, and Wednesday night prayer meeting but some how they can be a witness when the worshiper brings the right spirit to it. BTW I gave up read meat and for a boy from Texas, that is hard. Next year it will be iced tea.
February 9, 2008 at 07:52
I’ve given up coffee – not just because it’s my biggest “habit”, but because I want to find a way on a tight budget to give more money and energy to others. My church doesn’t talk much about Lent, but my husband grew up in the liturgical tradition so we are trying to make some of the traditions of the Church personally significant and not just a ritual. So, I figure sacrificing a luxury (that I tend to think is a necessity) to better follow Christ’s teaching is appropriate in this season. I’m also reading the Bible much more, not just “devotions” but as often as I can carve out some time. I love reading but don’t often just read the Bible. We’re talking on Easter about the Resurrection being the focus, the high point, of history and I want to read the whole OT with this in mind. So, fasting coffee, sharing with the needy, and trying to get a handle on the enormity of God’s plan for people pretty much covers my Lenten observance. I don’t really see it as a time for pious ritual or some kind of penance, or even a reminder of the sins that Christ died for, but rather as a time of reflection on God’s love, the fullness of what He did to bring that to us, and our response to Him. And then of course, on Easter, celebration of that amazing love that we’ve been thinking of all month.
February 11, 2008 at 06:43
In our Baptist congregation of less than 100 we explore the history of the church, liturgy, biblical significance [or lack there of] and most importantly the spiritual experience of the “church calendar.” Liturgical events are randomly selected, then taught, discussed and finally observed.
The experiences are meaningful and filled with awe. This year we observed Ash Wednesday. The full Bible study time was spent confessing our sin—personally and corporately. We read and responded to the Scripture historically used during the observance.
In past years we’ve observed the properties of Passover [from the Jewish traditions) complete with the Seder and a Maunday Thursday meal. And each year we worship with a combined community congregation of Lutherans, Church of God and another Baptist church during a Sunrise service in the city park. Annually, the congregation is invited to walk the Stations of the Cross at various churches in the downtown area of our city beginning at noon on Good Friday.
“Why are we doing this?” Is the question most often asked—and the response is simple. To grow as disciples and have the means by which to tell Yet-to-be Believers what we believe and why we believe it. [Or even why we don’t believe it.]
This year’s “ashes” were not gathered in the usual way (burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday parade of palm waving].
Instead, we asked the people during the observance of Believer’s Communion (which was the Sunday before Ash Wednesday) to write their sin on paper tablet sheets. After the bread and cup were passed—Scripture about God’s forgiveness of our sin through Jesus Christ’s vicarious act on the Cross were accented by the people coming forward and running their “sheets of sin” through a paper shredder—yeah, really!
The grinding noise of the machine combined with music and the Word produced a worshipful moment, to say the least. The shreds were later burned to produce the ashes used in the Wednesday service.
Wednesday, after foreheads were smudged with the sign of the Cross and the “You are but dust and to dust you shall return,” statement was made—we made our way to the entrance porch of the church—carrying the container of ashes.
With a strong westerly wind blowing the remaining ashes were tossed high into the air and the scriptural truth of Pslam 103:12 was shouted—there was a collective gasp and then silence—as the “sin” of the people disappeared into the night sky.
During this Lenton Season [and other seasons] we have given up the idea that nothing good can come from “high church” liturgy? The pagans have a “good time” with this season—and perhaps that’s the churches fault for not teaching what it’s all about—it’s a Godly time.
February 12, 2008 at 20:44
Nothing