I grew up Southern Baptist. So, if it weren’t for my Lutheran best friend giving up sweets every year around this time, I’d probably not have thought too much about the Lenten Season. I mean, I’m sure my Dad mentioned something about it in his sermons along the way; he even held Maundy Thursday services way back in the seventies (radical for the time). Still, I didn’t really practice Lent until a couple of decades ago when we joined a Baptist church that had reached back to its early Christian roots and resurrected the practice of Lent.
Lent > Self-Improvement
There are lots of different reasons that observance of Lent is important to all who follow Christ. One reason I’ve heard is that Lent can be a sort of New Year’s Resolutions re-boot, a time to get back on track with the life goals you set for yourself a couple of months ago. While I agree that Lent is a time to reflect on our own brokenness, I don’t think we should use this ancient practice as a self-improvement exercise. Not that Lent doesn’t have that outcome. Naturally, we become more fully alive when we are focused on God incarnate in Jesus Christ. But, in my opinion, self-improvement should not be the ultimate objective.
Lent = Contemplation + Renewal
On the liturgical (church) calendar, Lent marks the weeks leading up to the church’s observance of Easter. Thus, it is a time of contemplation, a time to renew the commitment to follow Christ into the difficult spaces where darkness reigns and light is rare. So, for my Lenten discipline, I try to select something to add or eliminate that will remind me frequently of Christ’s deep love for all of creation and my responsibility to reflect that love in my daily life. Want some examples? Here you go.
Ideas for Lenten Additions
- Daily exercise of 30 minutes or more. Walk the dog, stretch, ride a bike, dance. Just move! And be grateful to God for the amazing capabilities of the human body.
- Daily quality reading of 30 minutes or more. Ahh. Let’s just sit for a minute and think of that bliss. Sigh. Read something that matters though. Not just your news app.
- Daily writing. Now would be a great time to start a gratitude journal or a journal of reflections.
- Daily fruits and vegetables. Increase your intake of foods that come from the ground. Set a goal to have a certain number each day with gratitude for God’s provision and prayers for those who struggle with food insecurity.
Ideas for Lenten Subtractions
- Eliminate negativity. I try to remember that we are all broken in different ways; too often I forget and become critical and nasty. When I do forget that all God’s children are beloved and precious, I can act ugly (or at least think ugly thoughts). I need to quit that.
- Eliminate certain aspects of social media. Oh man what a time-sucker. Do you, like me, find that sometimes you think about your Twitter or Facebook feed more than you think about the love of God? Yeah, we need to break that habit, don’t you think?
- Eliminate purchases that do not support local, free-trade, or living wage businesses. I don’t know about you, but I get sloppy with my shopping.
- Eliminate ordering from Amazon. This may not be a problem for you, but I’m way too quick to add to the Amazon trillions. I could do a little research and find a decent business to support. Eliminating the Amazon app would be a great way to start.
Whatever you choose for your Lenten discipline, my prayer is that you will remember daily that you are beloved beyond measure.
What about you? What Lenten commitments have you made?
