Are you observing Lent? If so, are you giving up anything?

I've never "observed" it, per se. But I agree with Jim that it is not "an ordinance . . . but it does serve a purpose, leading believers to greater depths in their spiritual life, and certainly that is scriptural."

 

Sorry David, but my fasting is done in private with the Lord. I do not reconize a pagan tradition as a time to dictate to me, its time to fast. Fasting is to be done so as no one knows you are doing it. And while you fast, you should be in prayer.

Sherrie

 

Giving things up for an observance of Lent and a fast are two different things.

Sounds like you completely misunderstand what some of us are talking about when we refer to the traditional Protestant Christian discipline of Lent.

Yes. I don’t think anyone disagrees with these points.

 

No, I read what you wrote and respected your opinion. And then I wrote what my opinion was.

Sherrie

 

Okay, I gotta share this with you. Someone at work asked me what I was giving up for Lent. I replied off the cuff, "sex". It made for quite a chuckle in the break room.

 

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA : Lent: the forty days' fast preceding Easter, originally meant no more than the spring season.

Fasting for the Feast by Jim Wilwerding : "In one word, Lent is about fasting—in three different ways."


I do not think I misunderstood anything.

Sherrie

 

BMA Baptists do not observe LENT.

rufus

 

Isn't there a Jewish observation somewhat like this? I know it doesn't follow the same amount of time, I think it's a day of atonement, I forget what it's called. Fasting and prayer.

I remember my girlfriends when I was a kid giving up bubble gum and chocolate for Lent. They were Catholic.

I never considered practicing Lent. I've fasted, but I have a problem with shaking and a whirring in my ears and black outs when my blood sugar gets too low, so I can't do it for extended periods of time.

Very interesting to read about this.

Laurenda

 

Are you, by any chance, thinking of Yom Kippur,
the Day of Atonement, from Lev 16; 23:26 - 32;
and Num 29:7 - 11? This is the Jewish New Year's
Day, a day used repentence, prayer, and fasting.
It is a solemn day that follows a period of self-
examination and seeking forgiveness of others
for any indiscretions.

These are very serious days; no partying. No
feasting before the serious days begin. The party
comes only after repentence, forgiveness, and
fasting. And even then, we just get together as
a community or as a family and eat to break the
fast. The main thing eaten on that day is honey,
the symbol for the sweetness of beginning the
new year wth a clean slate.

 

Yes Abiyah, that is exactly what I was referring to. My mind kept saying Passover, and I knew that wasn't right. Thanks for helping me with my memory problem.

Laurenda

 

I'm giving up for the 40 days buying unessential "fun" items like books, dvds, clothes, etc. and will use the money that I would otherwise have spent as an offering.

 

I observe lent through focusing my devotional practices on repentance. I usually fast during the time, but the boundaries of the Christian calendar serve more as markers to be reflected in my spiritual life. When I pastored a church, we observed lent with special reflections (I passed them out in advance) on repentance during the week, and then we talked about them during Sunday School. I also encouraged fasting (with various levels involved) during some part of the season.

BTW, I do not think of Lent is not a Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, etc. practice, but as a Christian practice. There is no difference between observing/celebrating Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, or Pentecost. None are explicitly found as observances in the NT. If we want to find seasons and festivals explicitly found there we need to celebrate the Jewish calendar.

The Christian calendar is a tool of personal and corporate devotion. When it is adapted to the usage of individual church (or person), it can function quite nicely.

Grace and Peace, Danny

P.S. Fast days in Lent don't include Sundays because all Sundays are days of (Easter) celebration.

 

My close friend is Lutheran and he defining Lent for me as when Lutherans do for 40 days what Baptists do year-round.

 

Nor do us fundies. I see no Biblical command to give up things we enjoy for a certain time period every year. It seems kinda like empty ritualism. And those folks yesterday walking around with ash on their foreheads looked funny.

Look at me, I'm fasting!!!!

 

hehehehe.....Bro. Curtis! Good post!

Sherrie

 

Hi David.

I do not see anything wrong with exchanging pleasantries at Christmans time, and I even give some of my friends presents. But I don't celebrate it as a religious holiday.

And I haven't recognized an Easter Sunday in years. To me, every Sunday we celebrate Christ's resurrection.

I know my words are harsh, but I just see religious rituals as silly. I go to church on Sunday, even try to dress up nice, but that doesn't bring me closer to God.

And neither does lent.

 

We often say as Baptists, we have no such rituals in our church as do others, but it is not so. How many Baptist churches follow the same pattern in worship each Sunday: A welcome or call to worship; opening hymn and prayer, reading the scripture, receiving the offering, pastoral prayer, hymn, sermon, closing hymn and benediction......

This too can be a form of ritual every bit as much as in the Anglican Church which follows a Book of Common Prayer.

Do we "follow" Lent, or do we just take opportunity of a time in the church calendar to place special emphasis on the act of repentance leading up to a special time when we remember the Lord and His sacrifice for us. This does not negate an everyday thought about Him, His death and resurrection, but simply magnifies the event to some. We say that we do this everyday, but do we?

Cheers,

Jim