Lent begins tomorrow and I’m give up junk food until Easter. It is a small sacrifice and serves as a reminder of Jesus’ forty days spent fasting in the wilderness.
I first led my church to observe Lent about five or six years ago and each year it seems to grow in practice. We use Lent as a season of rededication and soul-searching. Sundays are excluded when it comes to fasting because they are days to commemorate the resurrection.
Some people at SRC have fasted from red meat, ice cream (one of the major food groups for some of us!), television, coffee and sugar. This year I’m hearing some buzz about people fasting Facebook. Besides giving up, Lent is a season for extra time in prayer and reflection. Think in terms of giving up and getting in: giving up something that you enjoy through fasting and getting in more time and depth of relationships with people and Jesus Christ.
Are you giving up something for Lent? Let me know what you’re doing.
Filed under: Discipleship
There is no food that you can take away from me that I can’t live without. Fasting is hard for me because of blood sugar issues. I have found that after losing 45/50 pounds that I really enjoy shopping for clothes. Clothes I don’t really need. It got to be a little vice. I loved the hunt for the best deal. So I gave up frivious shopping. Unlike everyone else that gave up food, I don’t get to run willy nilly at the mall on Sundays.