GIVE IT UP, BABY!

I got a chuckle listening to the radio the other day, hearing the story of how college students have given up Facebook for Lent. While I admire the spiritual commitment of the interviewed young people, I couldn’t help thinking that they sounded like recovering crack addicts in withdrawal!

I heard a story about a minister who is using the discipline of fasting as a Lenten-oriented weight-loss program. In fact, he is bringing a scale into the chancel of his church so that he can be weighed before the congregation during services to be affirmed in his achievement.

I have thought of giving up grilled cheese sandwiches for Lent, but I remembered that I was allergic to cheese anyway. Then I decided to forego praise choruses and contemporary worship, but I remembered that I despise them anyway. I am ashamed to admit it, but I have struggled to find a worthy sacrifice that I am willing to accept for myself.

Where does this idea come from? Does the Bible command us to “give up something” for Lent?

Of course not. Precious as the Church Year is to the spiritual journey of Christians, it is a creation of Man for the purpose of focusing our faith and building our understanding of the story of salvation.

The genesis of Lenten disciple comes from Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness as He prepared for His ministry. During our 40 days of Lent, we follow His example of self-denial as a spiritual discipline that can open our minds and hearts to the power of His scriptural word and the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

The part of all this that I think we often miss is the importance of adding something for Lent. You see, we “give it up...” but we forget to add something in its place. The spiritual discipline of Lent should focus our mind, heart, soul and spirit on the redeeming love of our Savior, but that cannot happen by only giving something up.

I hope you will join me during this Lenten season in taking a few minutes every day to exchange (give it up, baby!) a comfort with a spiritual discipline. I think for me it will be my habit of getting a cup of coffee and a cookie in the middle of the afternoon. Maybe I can take that time and spend it reading through the Epistle to the Romans, or the Gospel of St. Matthew. For you it might be a silent walk every evening talking to God and listening for His voice. Your spiritual discipline might be to listen to sacred music quietly for a few minutes every day, or read a good devotional book.

God calls us to live every day in His abundance. When we give something up for Lent, and replace it with something the ushers us into God’s presence, we open the door to a new gift of abundance.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Bill