Why I'm Observing Lent

Wow.  It's been over a month since I posted.  I've had a million ideas to write about since then, but that 'chaotic life' part kept getting in the way.  Family in from out of town, new family members being born, a two-week business trip for Superman that nearly killed me.......I could go on, but I'll spare you the excuses. 

So what finally got me motivated enough to write?  Lent.  Or rather my decision to observe Lent for the first time in my life. 

I was raised primarily in evangelical denominations.  My father's family is Lutheran, and Superman's family is Presbyterian, but neither of us were raised observing Christian traditions such as Lent or Ash Wednesday.  I guess I always viewed them as stodgy old Catholic rituals that we weren't required to hold to. 

But here's the thing.  For a few months now, I've been thinking about those 'stodgy old rituals,' and how maybe there's a reason they've survived for nearly two millennium. 

You see, I love that I was raised viewing God not as some remote deity, but as a Father and a Friend that I could have a personal relationship with.  There have been so many trials in my life I wouldn't have survived without that relationship with my Savior.  Still, I think there's a downside to focusing on only the personal, best-friend aspect of our relationship with Christ.  I think we often lose sight of Him as the Sovereign, the Creator of the Universe, and I want to help my family regain that sense of awe, that sense of respect, and the realization that despite what we're told by our culture, the world most certainly does not revolve around us.  There is a disturbing tendency among many Christians to treat church and their relationship with Christ as a feed trough.  We go to church, expect the worship service to give us goosebumps and an emotional high, we listen to the message our pastors deliver, and that's it.  We lose sight of one of the most important and essential aspects of Christianity - the call to serve and bless others. Our faith wasn't designed to just make us 'feel' good and to help us get through the week.  It was intended to make us blessings to those around us, that they might see Christ's love through us, and thereby be drawn unto Him. 

I James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

2 Corinthians 5:20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

What would make us stand out in this world more than being loving, being joyful, patient, kind, generous, hard working, not returning evil for evil, having a spirit that is willing to be inconvenienced in order to help someone else?  All the things our culture has lost.  But how do we nurture that kind of spirit?  By focusing outside of ourselves.

This is where I've really come to believe the traditional Christian observances can play a role.  I think when they're viewed as a compliment to our faith, not the means to salvation, they impart a sense of tradition, of roots to Christians gone before, a sense that there is something to live for greater than ourselves, and most importantly a reminder of the respect we should have for our Savior.  Yes, He's our best friend, but He's so much more than that, and we're called to do so much more for Him than just show up at church on Sundays and Wednesdays.

 So I'm beginning with Lent.  What better tradition to help us take the focus off ourselves than one that requires sacrifice on our part in order to help us prepare and appreciate the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross? 

I read a terrific post by Lindsay of Passionate Homemaking in which she gives a very impressive list of activities to help her family observe and celebrate Lent.  I hope to implement at least one a day to help Mad Scientist and Sparkly Princess really grasp the true significance of the Easter holiday, and to help them develop a desire to serve others. 

As for the traditional "I'm giving (....) up for Lent," I was stumped for a while.  Living the primal/paleo lifestyle, I've already given up just about every food that could be considered bad for you.  Grains, sugars, soda, dairy....all gone.  Giving up dietary items really isn't much of a sacrifice for me anymore. 

The one aspect of the primal lifestyle I have yet to fully implement is the physical.  I'm not a fan of working out.  I will do manual labor till the cows come home - working in the garden, cleaning my house, rearranging furniture - because this all has a purpose.  I see immediate results.  Exercise, not so much.  And getting up early?  Definitely not my forte.  So this is my sacrifice for Lent - my mornings and my time.  I'm going to do my best to rise with Superman and the sun.  I'll make him breakfast and help him get ready for work, then spend the rest of the time before morning-loving Mad Scientist wakes up in devotion and prayer.  And I'll try to work out at least five times per week.  All with the purpose of making myself more spiritually and physically fit to serve and bless others. 

And I'll post more often.  Really. :-)  I still owe everyone a full explanation of what exactly this whole primal/paleo thing is about.

Blessings and love,
Liz