What are you giving up or taking up for Lent?

[Robin M]

I'm thinking about limiting my time with twitter, facebook, and the internet in general. I know several bloggers who give up blogging altogether during lent but I just don't want to. It's an outlet I need to keep me sane, plus I can't skip out in the middle of the challenges I'm hosting.

 

I've already given up sodas and chips for health reasons. I've been limiting my book purchases until I get through the books on my huge teetering to be read pile. So I will continue that by not buying any books during lent. Twitter I could probably live without for 40 days. Though I do find out about interesting books that way from the publishers. Yep - just decided - won't do twitter.

 

I'll be reading Lent and Easter Wisdom by Thomas Merton and Pope Benedict's The Apostles.

Pope Benedict has written some great books which even if you aren't Catholic are really interesting. I read Jesus of Nazereth a couple years back and it was very good.

 

I'm also trying to think of a character issue I should try to improve upon.

 

If you care to share, what are you doing for Lent?

[Carol in Cal.]

I made two exceptions for humanitarian reasons (...for the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath), but otherwise stuck to it IIRC. Some say that as Sundays are not technically part of Lent, abstention should exclude Sundays--that makes sense to me as well.

 

I also always read or study a book in a meditative way during Lent. I have not selected a book for this year yet.

 

I'm actually thinking about exercising while praying constantly as a Lenten practice this year. I don't generally exercise but need to do so, and I think that in the right spirit (honoring God in caring for His temple) it could be a good and valid spiritual practice for me. I'm still praying about this, though.

[grace'smom]

I'm giving up everything but email.

[BikeBookBread]

Last year I gave up blogging, message boards and non-essential internet surfing. I only checked e-mail once a day. I did nothing electronic on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 

I believe I will be doing the same this year. I'll miss you guys!

[KristineinKS]

I'll be reading Lent and Easter Wisdom by Thomas Merton and Pope Benedict's The Apostles.

 

I'm also trying to think of a character issue I should try to improve upon.

 

If you care to share, what are you doing for Lent?

 

Ah, I almost ordered the Thomas Merton book, now I wish I would have!

 

I'll just be joining the Catholic church this Easter, and for some reason I'm feeling a bit intimidated by Lent. Probably because while I'm quite familiar with other aspects of the liturgical year, Lent is completely new and foreign to me.

 

That said, thus far I know for certain that I'll be giving up online shopping. Painful though it will be, I've been doing *way* too much of it lately & seriously need to check myself.

[littlebug42]

I am making a commitment to decluttering my home. This is very difficult for me as I put too much sentimental value to things. I am actually starting a week early with books, which are the hardest thing for me to part with. I am also aiming for less computer time.

[elizabeth]

Ah, I almost ordered the Thomas Merton book, now I wish I would have!

 

I'll just be joining the Catholic church this Easter, and for some reason I'm feeling a bit intimidated by Lent. Probably because while I'm quite familiar with other aspects of the liturgical year, Lent is completely new and foreign to me.

 

That said, thus far I know for certain that I'll be giving up online shopping. Painful though it will be, I've been doing *way* too much of it lately & seriously need to check myself.

 

Welcome and many blessings to you as you embark on your life as a member of the Catholic church. If you are able it is an extraordinary experience and will greatly add to your understanding of Lent to attend the Easter Vigil Mass. Every element of the Vigil exponentially added to my understanding of Lent and the historical background of the rituals that accompany the liturgy. Truly amazing .http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/prep-eastervigil.html a wonderful summary from my alma mater.

Edited February 11, 2010 by elizabeth
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[Ali in OR]

Giving up sweets and I'll include diet soda in that even though there is no sugar in it. This is sort of the standard thing I give up and it is not easy for me.

[Heather in OK]

Processed sugar.

[ereks mom]

I'm not Catholic -- I'm Southern Baptist, actually -- but I appreciate the idea of giving up something that I enjoy as a way of showing my gratitude to Christ for giving up so much for me.

[Tiramisu]

I usually give up books except for religious reading and the internet except for email. It's very hard to give up these boards. I've been doing this for awhile now so I'm wondering if there's something else that might be spiritually beneficial.

 

Because I've been pregnant or nursing and dealing with children with sleep problems for years, not to mention my own blood sugar issues, I've never been great with fasting except for the obligatory fasts. One year I simply gave up eating between meals, but the experience traumatized me and made me afraid of Lent forever. This isn't normal, but I think it had to do with nursing a hyper two year old that never slept.

 

Quite honestly, dd's surgery and recuperation for the last month has felt like extreme penance, and it's not over. I almost feel to weak to face Lent. I need the advice of a good priest on how to proceed. Or, if anyone has any suggestions for a trad-leaning, Latin Mass mama, I'm all ears.:bigear:

[TravelingChris]

Sometimes I do this but this year, nothing. I am having a very hard winter (snow after snow, dh almost constantly gone, other things) and I don't feel like I am supposed to give up anything this year. I am not a Catholic and I have done this in the past but this year I just feel like God is letting me take it easy since life has been so hard even before lent has started.

[GWOB]

We are new to celebrating Lent (new Lutherans), so we are still feeling our way around the season. I will be giving up caffeine, which will be the equivalent of giving up my brain and right arm. I also liked Carol in CA's idea of meditatively reading a book during Lent. Any suggestions? I know I should dive into my copy of The Lutheran Confessions, but anything less-intimidating would be nice. Oh, I guess the point of Lent is doing hard stuff for Jesus. Lutheran Confessions it is!

[Tutor]

I'm participating in 40 Days of Water during Lent.

[milovany]

It's feeling big out there in front of us! This is our first year in the Orthodox church, and in this Church the general way to go through the Lenten season is the same around the world: We follow a strict food fast (no meat, dairy, wine or oil), we pray more, and we increase our almsgiving.

 

To pray more I'll have to also limit my electronic time (hard!!) and I'll as well basically talk less (I want to be more aware of the words that come out my mouth; I want to make sure I'm building people up not tearing them down, etc.)

[MariannNOVA]

We are giving up meat and television. We are adding things too but we haven't firmed that up yet.

[mom2abcd]

We are new to celebrating Lent (new Lutherans), so we are still feeling our way around the season. I will be giving up caffeine, which will be the equivalent of giving up my brain and right arm. I also liked Carol in CA's idea of meditatively reading a book during Lent. Any suggestions? I know I should dive into my copy of The Lutheran Confessions, but anything less-intimidating would be nice. Oh, I guess the point of Lent is doing hard stuff for Jesus. Lutheran Confessions it is!

 

Actually, wendilouwho, you're OK leaving the "shoulds" and "hard stuff" behind. We Lutherans are living under grace! You may "want to" do something special to help you think about Jesus' great love and sacrificial giving... and challenge yourself to be loving and giving as a response to all God has done. But you don't have to feel like you have to punish yourself. Jesus already took your punishment:o)

 

Here are some articles that may be freeing to you:

 

http://www.mid-southlcms.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=26&Itemid=202

 

http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=3908

 

http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=3907

 

A chapter I enjoy especially during Lent is Philippians 2: 1-18. Memorizing that passage may be more helpful and do-able for a busy homeschooling mom than plodding through the LC. :o) The season in life for that will come and then you'll *enjoy* it!

 

I'd go with source material:o)

 

HTH.

[Faithr]

Hmm. Aren't all Christians living under grace? Not just Lutherans. I've been Catholic for a long time and I've never seen sacrificing something for Lent as punishment. In fact my kids look forward to Lent and talk a lot about what they plan to give up. It is rather to strengthen oneself spiritually by giving up something that is worldly. Sort of like building spiritual muscles. It's a form of prayer really. It is a simple way to try and keep Christ front and center. And it is a way of preparing oneself for the joy of Easter. Often the sacrifice is tied to almsgiving. Eating more simply and saving the money to give to the poor. In other words it is a way to live more intentionally in Christ.

 

I'm giving up computer on Fridays (as well as meat) and I'm going to limit myself to a half hour a day of internet time. I do feel that giving up everything internet is also basically telling friends you communicate with online that you are giving up their friendship for 40 days! So I don't want to do that and also I do so much business via e-mail it wouldn't be practical to give it up entirely. Cutting down severely will be hard enough! Maybe harder! More temptation! I am also going to finish reading two religious books I started a while back and never finished. One is Jesus of Nazareth and the other is a book on the OT.

 

We are also going to increase our prayer time together as a family. We'll be going to Mass more often and also praying the Stations of the Cross every Friday.

 

My son will be undergoing major surgery during Lent. That will be tough and I think that will be part of our Lenten journey as well.

[Tiramisu]

Actually, wendilouwho, you're OK leaving the "shoulds" and "hard stuff" behind. We Lutherans are living under grace! You may "want to" do something special to help you think about Jesus' great love and sacrificial giving... and challenge yourself to be loving and giving as a response to all God has done. But you don't have to feel like you have to punish yourself. Jesus already took your punishment:o)

 

 

This is a complete misunderstanding of Lent. Lent is not a punishment. It is a spiritual preparation. In the Old Testament, Moses fasts for forty days before receiving the Ten Commandments, and in the New Testament Jesus prayed and fasted for forty days in preparation for starting his public ministry. Today we use the 40 days of Lent as a spiritual preparation for Easter, the celebration of Jesus Christ rising from the dead. There are three Lenten essentials: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Each is meant to bring us closer to Christ. The purpose of prayer is obvious. Fasting, like faithr mentioned, strengthens so with God's grace we will be better able to withstand temptation. Traditionally, the money saved on food by fasting was given to the poor. That's the almsgiving part. It's about charity and sharing the love of Christ by caring for the poor.

 

There are many on these boards who could explain this more eloquently, but I thought I would try. Lent is a beautiful gift and an opportunity to re-focus our lives on Christ and grow spiritually. It's a shame that there are misunderstandings about it. If my first post contributed to those misunderstanding, I apologize.

Edited February 12, 2010 by NJKelli
spelling!