Kyrie Yeshua
Man of Sorrows
Acquainted with grief
You bore our sin
In your own self
We your brother and sister
Grieve with you
For the sin that caused
Such sorrow
Today is the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, the church marks out the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter as a time of reflection, abstinence, for considering the bright sadness that precedes the death and resurrection of Christ.
How are you marking this season?
I went to Mass with my neighbor, Sandra, and received the blessing of the ashes. All day at work (at my uber-evangelical publishing company), people tried to be helpful by wiping off the smudge on my forehead. It was an eye-opening experience: I had thought the church as a whole had become much more ecumenical over the last decade, but most of the folks I work with weren’t even aware it was Ash Wednesday or what that means. The question that followed my explanation was “So are you becoming Catholic?” Ah, no…and what if I was?
Anyway, I’m giving up meat and caffeine (so far the caffeine-freeness hurts much more) and trying to pray with more discipline.
Beautifully written, Michael.
I thought about giving up coffee, but then I remembered that the point of Lent wasn’t to die a slow and painful death from withdrawal. I also thought about giving up alcohol, but Gretchen pointed out that St. Patrick’s day comes during Lent.
So I’m giving up Fast Food. Really. This is actually a really big thing for me. If you look in my truck, I usually have 20-30 empty drive-through bags riding shotgun. I eat fast food A LOT. On my way to a gig, or between things, or at 1 AM on my way home from something. So, I’m giving it up for Lent, and putting that money aside toward something (not sure what yet) worthwhile.
This is actually going to be harder on Gretchen than it is on me, I think, because with me not eating fast food, she is going to have to be ready at a moment’s notice to drop everything and drive a sandwich out to me.
I gave away red meat for lent last year. This year, lent started in the middle of January as far as self denial is concerned. I think this year for lent, I am going to give up church.
drive a sandwhich out to you….hardy har har
silly Michael…we’ll send Sophia.
I have decided to give up diapers. It will really free me up to spend much more time in prayer.
That shouldn’t be too much of a problem … the Lenten fast is usually broken each sabbath, so Sophia will just have to go 6 days on a single diaper.
I see no other possible solution. None at all.
I love that the Lord’s Days remain feast days even during Lent. I guess we know where Michael will want to go for lunch after church for the next six Sundays.
I think I am giving up self-denial. I have done caffeine before and red meat - this year I will not give up something but rather add something. I will “adopt” a child in Nicaragua. Our denomination has a mission called the Healthy Child program in Nicaragua. Here is how I plan to adopt a child: Every time I go out to eat I will act as if my “adopted” child is with me and “buy” him lunch. Each day I will keep track of what I spend on my “adopted” child and at the end of the forty days send that accumulated amount to Healthy Child program. I will try to determine what it would cost our family to have another one at the table for meals and other costs of maintaining a healthy life of a growing child for the season. Likewise, if I go to a movie I will “buy” him a ticket (of course he can’t see “R” films) I hope to also remember my Lenten adoptee each day in my prayers.
oooooh… that’s hot Doug! I’m changing my answer.
Would your Nicaraguan child like to go see an Angel’s game in April?
This is a great idea, Doug. I hope you’ll share it with the congregation at some point.
I’m giving up reading white text on a black background.
(But yes, it does look cool.)
I’m giving up sugar. Not so profound I guess but I do consume it often (it’s in my coffee creamer, it’s in ketchup, it’s in mouthwash for cryin’ out loud!) so the lack of it does turn me to greater reflection, devotion and humility. Bye bye brownies.
June, black is the new beige.
This is my first post
just saying HI
Gretchen leaned over to me during church yesterday to ask if I was giving anything up for Lent this year. I said yes … Humility.
Sadly, my first introduction to the concept of lent was from the movie “LadyHawke.” Remember when the bird (Michelle Phiffer in full mid 80s hotmess) gets shot and Matthew Broderick’s character takes it to the monestary? The drunk friar leans his head out the window and demands to know what’s going on. Broderick says something like, “I’ve got this injured bird here and I need your help!”
The monk says, drunkedly, “Good good, boy come in, we’ll dine together!”
Broderick : “No sir, we can’t eat this bird!”
Monk : “Oh god is it lent already?”
Yes, kids. That was my introduction to lent. In a movie directed by the guy who did Lethal Weapon.
The Mouse?
He’s left his house.
No Mouse today,
he’s gone away.
To ease the pain -
he went down the drain!
YES!
I loved that movie. It was actually the first PG-13 movie I was allowed to see in a theater. Good times.
Man Michelle Phiffer was hot with short hair. And how great is a movie that makes Rutger Hauer look cool? It’s an exclusive movie club… Ladyhawke and Blade Runner.