When I post and Why I post blog entries is usually because I have a burning need to say something, a problem to put out there for reflection, to share something that struck me as meaningful, to confess, to rejoice, to report, to just say "hey, still hanging in...".
Sometimes I feel what I need to write is from a higher calling to help someone or me--maybe from God? maybe the Universe? Mother Nature? You pick or fill in the blank _________.
I don't ask-I know what I think--I try to comply. I am not the most eloquent of writers, I sho' can't speak worth nothin' (southern twang), and I could care less about grammar and punctuation which drives my husband crazy. (He is much younger than I am and when he gets older he'll get over that , I hope. )
I'm not sure exactly what this post is about other than to help me formulate my own ideas. Today is Ash Wednesday for some of the religious folks. I had a Jewish grandfather , was raised Baptist, converted to Methodist, had an agnostic / angry period, got kind of New Agey, tried Existentialism. And finally, I joined a Lutheran church where I still reside from a religious practice though I am still very open minded . I feel closest to God when I do Yoga, when I am helping someone, when I'm considering buying fruitcake (another post), or when I'm outside in nature. Ash Wednesday and Lent didn't really hit my radar till the Lutheran phase.
What does it all mean? I know Ash Wednesday and Lent falls the day after Mardi Gras which is drinking ,partying, bourbon street, beads, and naked boobies. It seemed like a time of repenting for sin. Well, why the heck 'sin' like that in the first place. Also, Just Catholics did it. The Catholic kids got out of school for Good Friday which made me jealous.
I'm big on Wikipedia so here they describe it better than I could:
The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, alms giving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
What I hear about Lent the most is "what are you giving up for Lent?" Bread , chocolate, booze, sugar, a certain behavior, whatever. I've read some bloggers that recommend making this a time to abstain from something you really need to get rid of in your life. Well I always needed to lose weight ,so it was usually food related for me. Always, multitasking.
In the early phase of my Lutheran life when I worked at an office and was addicted to Dunkin Donuts, I would bravely say that I was giving up my weekly Dunkin Donuts coffee and 5000 calorie muffin. But the thing is , I am not perfect and that was painful. Plus, I kind of think if you are whining about missing the thing you are giving up then that completely negates the intent for giving it up. That's just my opinion. I don't pick any kind of food usually.
At our church our minister who is kind of a geeky but lovable nerd-type always reminds us that during this time you don't HAVE to give something up. Lent is a 40 day period when you can add something to your life or to your daily spiritual practice or to being involved in community or giving to the needy. For those of us introverted types, being involved in community is tough enough sometimes.
I haven't pin-pointed what I'm doing for this Lenten period. Maybe 40 different things. Tonight I will go to church and have ashes placed on my forehead and be told :" Remember that you are from dust and to dust you will return". I am sort of still formulating my idea for Lent. Thanks to Roxie at Gravel and Rust , I found this site and it's Lenten sort of Advent calendar -Fast Pray Give- A calendar with my favorite nerd from Big Bang theory ,Yoda, Meryl Streep, Lady GAGA, Homer Simpson, and Jesus. It's a thing to wonder about.
Sorry my linkey thing doesn't link right:
I really like this short little video that explains Lent and Ash Wednesday . http://bustedhalo.com/video/ash-wednesday-in-two-minutes
The calendar
http://bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give
It was also the time of year that the middle east environment could run short of food. It is easier to pass off as religious fast that food shortage within the villages of the time.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm just an logical atheist with Buddhist leanings.
Keep up the struggle.
For the past 2 years, I have given up facebook for Lent. I figured I could use that time for prayer or bible study. And for the most part, I didn't miss facebook (although I did miss seeing pictures of my grand-nieces).
ReplyDeleteI haven't given up anything this year. Although I have made it to 2pm today without snacking.
As someone who believes in God but is not Christian (or any other religion), I have often wondered about the “giving up” and thought it would be more…well…interesting to add something positive. I guess it’s also why I have never done well with weight loss or fitness challenges or by making pronouncements.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just remembered a line from the book Eat Pray Love that resonates for me: “God dwells within you as you yourself, exactly the way you are. God isn’t interested in watching you enact some performance of personality in order to comply with some notion you have about how a spiritual person looks or behaves. We all seem to get this idea that, in order to be sacred, we have to make some massive, dramatic change of character, that we have to renounce our individuality. Every day renunciants find something new to renounce, but it is usually depression, not peace, that they attain. To know God you need only renounce one thing: your sense of division from God. Otherwise, just say as you were made, within your natural character.”
We get so few opportunities for humor in our blogs. Thanks for finding the fun!
ReplyDeleteReligious Food