Sleepwalking through Lent

For some reason this morning, I woke up feeling ambivalent about Lent. The only way that I could describe what I was feeling was to say that I felt like I was sleepwalking through Lent.

Tracy and I talked about it at breakfast this morning. I explained that it felt as if the more removed we became from Duke and our "Liturgical Worship Education" the less I felt strongly about a strict adherence to the Season of Lent.

We had an awesome conversation. We shared the importance of the season and our love for the liturgical and lectionary cycles. We talked about the power of the message and the opportunity for really moving through a period of repentance and forgiveness. But, I still felt a little numb.

Maybe it was the busyness, maybe it was the opportunities that I had chosen, maybe it was the fact that I wasn't preaching this weekend, or maybe it was a combination of them all.

We then talked about the fact that maybe it isn't so much that the season has lost it's power, but the church has lost its ability to find a true expression of the season through its application. I take some personal responsibility in that at least in my most current setting, but I think the church has a lot of work to do.

In order to be relevant and timely, we have got to find a way to express the power of a changed life through the life and grace of Christ. This is not a once a year gig - but something we have to do all year. If all we do during Lent is put on another dinner and attract those who are already here - than we're missing an opportunity. If Lent is to be a time of conversion, maybe we have to do more to give opportunities for relationship building throughout the year, so that when these seasons do arrive, we would have opportunity for catechises. WE have got to rethink how we are followers of Christ and be that expression in the world.

I think Lent has become something for those on the inside, and that's probably what disturbs me the most. Next year . . . no, next week, I'm going to begin to seek new ways of being the church. It has to start now, so that next year I won't feel the same way.

I think that I'm just tired of going through the motions right now. Maybe that's my act of confession!

To Fast or Not to Fast, That is the Question

For many across the country, today is a day of voting. But for the rest of us, today is a day of preparation. Some call it Mardi Gras, some Fat Tuesday, some shrove Tuesday, and even others call it Pancake day.

Regardless of what you call today, it is a day of preparation for Lent. Tomorrow begins the yearly observance of Lent that will last for the 40 days leading up to Easter. If you want to be technical – it is 46 days long, but Sundays do not count as official observance days. Lent is a time of penitence and fasting, a time of removing obstructions and obstacles in our walk of faith so that we might concentration on the sacrifices made on our behalf by Christ. Lent is a time of conversion where we can grow through repentance, fellowship, prayer and fasting.

For many faithful, fasting means giving something up. This is a more frequent practice in the Roman Catholic tradition, but has some strong merit. Removing obstacles in our lives causes us to be more in tune with the sacrifice. That’s where Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday comes in. Today is the day when we can use up all of the things in our cupboards that cause us to break the fast, such as milk, eggs, flour, and butter.

There have been years in the past when I have entered into a Lenten Discipline of fasting from something. I have given up various things that have caused me to stumble such as Coke, candy, cookies and even caffeine. But unfortunately, my willpower is such that rather than truly fasting or eliminating that item, I substituted it with something else. Many times – that substitution was nothing more that – a substitute. It didn’t prove anything. If I gave up coke, I drank more coffee. When I gave up cookies, I rationalized my devotion to cakes. When I gave up caffeine altogether, I substituted that for having a headache all day and lashing out irrationally.

Personally, I think one of the hardest things to do is to fast entirely from food. Giving up all food for a day is quite difficult. Whether it is the psychological part or the physical part – it is just difficult. I actually tried it several years for one day each week during Lent. Sometimes it worked; other times I buckled under the pressure.

Regardless of what you do during Lent – I think it should be for the right reasons. Don’t give something up, or add something just to accomplish a task or look good. Don’t do it because of pressure from someone else or because “everyone else is doing it.” But do it so that you might be converted. Do it so that you might grow in faith, through repentance, fellowship, prayer and fasting.

On Ash Wednesday, you will likely hear a text from Matthew that says, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” To me that is a reminder that if I do something – it’s going to be to strengthen my faith, not so I can be seen by others as completing a task.

I will do something, but I haven’t decided what – I still have another 10 hours to decide. I invite you to enter into a spiritual discipline during Lent. Regardless of what you do – I hope that you do it for your own personal and spiritual growth.

This week, we begin our Lenten Journey together. I will begin a series entitled, “Follow Me” where we talk about denying ourselves, lifting up the cross, and following Christ. This week, we will be following Christ to the desert. I look forward to seeing you in Worship.

Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg