Apr
2
Written by:
SNT
4/2/2009 3:00 PM
Last year at Emmaus the season of lent coincided with a series on lament. This series had the effect (intended, I'm sure) of drawing my attention to the sacrifice and suffering that in some ways serve as a great preparation for Easter. This year it's different. Easter is kind of sneaking up on me this year.
On Fat Tuesday, a friend of mine recommended giving something away every day during lent. I loved the idea and I've latched onto it as a lenten practice this year. Now that I'm 30 days into it though, it seems like less of a sacrifice than I assumed it would be. That is to say I have easily 40 things that I'm not all that attached to (this is moderately embarrassing). Maybe this is why it feels like I haven't been paying attention to lent. Maybe I should have taken on something a bit more difficult - maybe I should just give away things that are a bit more difficult (rather than the shirts that I haven't worn in years and the books that have never been opened.) Another friend recently told me that he had given up raisins for lent - not because they were a vice for him but because not having them on his cereal in the morning would serve as a daily reminder of sacrifice and having them again on Easter, would be celebration. I like this.
It's my prayer that I would be able to pay attention to God over the next several days of lent, that I would notice God's Spirit, that I would be aware of the vast story that I get to be part of, that I would ask the question Nate asked so beautifully on Sunday, "Where is God in all of this?"