A time to be silent ….
Ecclesiastes 3:7
As tomorrow is the beginning of the Lenten season, I wanted to let you know that I am giving up blogging for Lent. Lent has not been a part of my religious heritage, but something that I have embraced more recently.
Along with blogging, I will be giving up sugar. I asked my friend Nicole to join me, and she said, “Sugar is like Water!” She then said she would pray about my request, and ten minutes later called to say she was giving up “intentional sugar” for Lent. I asked her what she meant, and she said she is not going to eat/drink something if she knows it has sugar in it. (She is not going to worry about the hidden sugar that is in so many things.) Nicole will be posting updates in the comment section during Lent.
If you had not planned to observe Lent, I would like to invite you to prayerfully consider something that you could abstain from until Easter. This is an excellent time to focus on self-control — a challenging fruit of the spirit to grow.
“The gifts of the Holy Spirit do not automatically become evident in our lives …. Every further step of spiritual growth in God’s grace must be preceded by acknowledging our lack of a godly attribute and by exhibiting a prayerful determination to obtain it.” L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert
During Lent, I will be praying about what God wants me to share with you, and I plan to start blogging again after Easter. I will be updating my blog roll and will be posting twitter updates about inspiring blogs. (My twitter updates can be found at the top right of my blog.)
I sent my mentor Renni an e-mail asking her if she observes Lent. The following is her response (shared with permission).
I do observe Lent; in fact, I’m going to a one-day Ash Wednesday retreat tomorrow
Sometimes I give up something for Lent, but sometime, I have taken up something for Lent instead – or a combination of the two. For example, I was reading something about Lent yesterday from “Living the Christian Year” by Bobby Gross: “Could Jesus be inviting you to go with him to the mountain and enter into a posture of prayer and attentiveness so that he can reveal more of His glory to you, glory that will transform you over time?” I can’t go to the mountain for 40 days, but I’ve been thinking about how I can take up that posture of prayer and attentiveness during Lent. What would I need to give up to do that? It may be not reading the paper or getting up earlier/staying up later for prayer – I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do but I’m praying about it.
Here are a couple of other excerpts from that book:
“Each year the season of lent asks us to embrace a spiritual gravity, a downward movement of soul, a turning from our self-sufficiency and sinfulness. In such quiet turning, we are humbled and thus made ready to receive from God a fresh and joyous grace. Ash Wednesday sets the tone for the season: humility, simplicity, sobriety and even sorrow. . . . we can choose a posture of humility and undertake practices that sharpen our spiritual awareness. These include prayer and Scripture meditation, moral inventory and behavior change, fasting and other forms of abstinence, acts of generosity and service.
During Lent we continue to walk with Jesus, but our attention shifts from light to shadows.
Christian fasting is the voluntary denial of something for a specific period of time for a spiritual purpose. . . a restriction that creates space for God. It is to turn from the bread of the pantry to the bread of life and in this humbler state to rediscover our deepest hunger and remember our truest food. In this way, fasting draws us closer to God.”
So I’ll be joining you during Lent but I’m waiting to see how! Maybe I’ll have more clarity during the retreat tomorrow.
Renni
I found this at biblegateway.com. I think I’m going to follow it for my morning devo to help me stay focused.
Reading the Bible during Lent:
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans/index.php/today?plan=7
From boldcafe.org
http://www.boldcafe.org/0607/hottopic.html
“Jesus spent 40 days in prayerful self examination and fasting in the wilderness. Lent, the church’s season of penitence and baptismal renewal, is the 40-day span from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Christians observe Lent by prayer, fasting, and service. It is a quiet season of looking inward and preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter.
Some commit to observing a meaningful Lenten season by giving up something, such as lattes or chocolate. Others take on a spiritual discipline, such as volunteering with a non-profit organization or adding Bible reading to their daily schedules.
Consider spending these 40 days with prayer in a sacred space. You can create your own sacred space — whether it is in a corner of your apartment, a rug in your dorm room, or not even a room at all. For 40 days, make a place in your life for the Spirit to blow in.
The time and the place
When we take time away from our busy daily schedules, we begin to strengthen our spiritual lives. We women may have been taught to put ourselves and our needs last. For the 40 days of Lent, however, let’s give ourselves the time and space to ponder: How are things between God and me?
Make time
Treat your prayer time like any other time that you carve out in your day. Try waking up 15 minutes early each morning — if you are not an early riser, take 15 minutes after you eat breakfast or dinner.
Clear a spot
Locate a table or clear a surface on a shelf, removing any clutter. Pick a few objects that help you connect with your spiritual center such as a photo, a Bible, and a candle.
Journal
With a prayer journal, you can record passages that give you strength. You can also add the names or pictures of people for whom you wish to pray.
Sound on
Try incorporating music into your prayer experience. Take a moment to pray or listen to music. Focus on your thoughts while you experience the melody. Spend some time writing about the thoughts and feelings that came to you while you listened.
Lent is a time for sending fewer instant messages and adding more prayer. Lent calls for taking fewer hours to explore YouTube and more hours to explore the possibilities of God’s call and our baptism. Lent is our time to be more God-aware.
This season reminds us that we all have a need to be deeply touched by God’s Spirit. The idea of shaping a personal space to nurture our spirits and our relationship with God doesn’t sound so farfetched during Lent. It is a good time to start something new, personal, and sacred.
from
http://www.boldcafe.org/0607/hottopic.html
Wow. It is great to hear that non Catholics are observing Lent. As you said in your blog it is about receiving the Holy Spirit and stregnthening your relationship with God not actually about what you do. Because i am on a weightloss program and have already really limited sugar intake, I am going a different route.
For lent, I am going to try to give my kids each 15 minutes a day of time just with mom. I feel like we rush to get to school, do homework, and extras that I rarely just sit down alone with each one individually to visit and talk about what they want to without their sisters. It will be hard during the week, but I hope God will help me find the time.
Also, I am going to go to Adoration (which is a time in the church you can go sit with the eucharist (boby of Christ) for an hour each week. I spend it in prayer. It is very peaceful. Thanks for sharing and asking me to share. I will pray that your sacrifice stregnthens you relationship with God.
I look forward to your return. God speed.
Journal entry: February 25, 2010
I sit with computer in my lap drinking coffee, without sugar and vanilla caramel coffee-mate. I’ve just read day 10 from the biblegateway.com Reading Plan for Lent. The last 10 days have been pretty easy. I have great friends supporting me and me supporting them. It’s great to see the ripple affect from one really quick question; “Tomorrow is Lent. Will you give up sugar with me?” Sara asked me this question and I asked my friend. Her husband was so proud of her, and was influence by her action of giving up sugar that he has given up caffeine. This reminds me of 2 Timothy 2:2
2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
In other words, if you tell 2 people the gospel of Jesus Christ and then they tell 2 people, and they tell 2 people then the Word will spread. It’s a ripple affect in telling about Jesus …. Just like Sara started encouraging others to Lent to prepare our heart, mind, and body for the celebration of a risen Savior.
Just as Jesus fasted 40 days to prepare for His ministry, I have given up intentional sugar to prepare for my ministry. I’m not sure what is next or maybe it’s just going to confirm the ministry I’m doing right now; help my mom and aunts care for my grandmother. I am pretty content to be right here.
Lord, I want to do your will. So just as the blind men in Matthew 20:29-34 called out to Jesus;
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” I am also crying out to you to have mercy on me. And just as they begged you, 33″Lord, we want our sight.” I am also begging you to give me my sight so that I can see clearer your will for me. In what way should I follow you, Lord?
Have a great day!
“Nicole 🙂 “
Dearest Sara,
I’ve missed hearing what is on your heart, but my prayer for you is that as you are in this period of being silent, that you will hear the voice of the LORD clearly.
With much love and in the name of Jesus,
Missy
Sweet Sara,
I am so thankful for such a great challenge. As I read for Lent, I am receiving so much. The Lord puts so much on my heart through these scriptures. I am so excited to see what He is preparing me for.
I can’t wait to see what the Lord is preparing for you, too. I pray for you often. There are so many talents you have that Lord is going to use for His glory.
I wonder how your readers are doing during this time of silence. What is the Lord doing to prepare them as well?
Hey Lent Buddies,
We are half way there, girls! This last week I really struggled with Lent. I was wondering how ya’ll are doing? The first half was pretty easy for me. Lets continue praying for each other for strength. When Jesus was fasting, do you suppose he got to the middle and struggled more than he did in the beginning. I wonder if he was just so focus on what he knew his job/ ministry was that it seemed like 40 days no time for him. Of course there was Satan at the end of 40 days who really tempted him.
My aunts made caramel cake this weekend. It’s what I smelled as I walked in the door from work and one of the first things I saw. My aunt offered it to me. Then remembered I was sugar fasting. The other aunt asked how long I was fasting. I told her till Easter. She said, “Well, then you might as well take a piece.” Was that Satan or what (not my aunt, just her comment)? I think she was saying that because the cake won’t last til Easter.
Here is a portion of my journal from today. I am seeking your response, thoughts, comments, strengths and struggles on this.
March 9, 2010
I could not get into my readings at all last week. It was redundant. I just read all that in Matthew. But alas, today, I was back at it. I read Mark 15-16, the last two chapters; Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. For whatever reason, I had already read the last part of 16 last week.
Blessings on your week. I love ya’ll.
Nicole
I am thinking of you today! Hope all is well!
I’m checking in because I told Sara I would, after all, she did challenge me to observe Lent. Also, Sara is taking this time to pray for what she needs to be writing here, so I wanted to show my support through my comments. Are there any other readers out there that are observing Lent, too? How have you been challenged by God this week? In what way has God been working in your life or the life of those around you?
It is two weeks before Easter and before Lent is over. I have been so challenged by our sweet friend and blogger, Sara. It has been a good challenge for me. I certainly have grown spiritually. I don’t usually keep a spiritual journal on a regular basis, and this one still is not a daily journal but mostly a weekly one. I can’t wait to see what the Lord is preparing for me next. And then I can’t wait to look back at this journal to see how he worked through me like molding pottery to make me, just mud, turn to something for His glory.
Here is my journal entry for this week of what I’m learning during this time of Lent.
Jesus was tempted. I have been tempted. The difference between me and Jesus is that I am a “heinous sinner” and Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was quick thinking and quick in reaction. He was prepared for what Satan was about to throw at him. This week I unintentionally had sweet tea. And this weekend I was surrounded by the festivities that usually have sugar.
My dad and I went to Cracker Barrel for dinner with some friends/ co-workers. I was away from the table when they ordered drinks and my dad ordered for him and for me unsweetened tea and Mr. Oscar got sweet tea. Our server brought 3 sweet teas. I was so thirsty I drank half the glass before I realized it might not be unsweet. I asked my dad to taste it for me. Sure enough, SWEET tea. I can justify that my practice of Lent is intentional sugar and that this situation definitely was not intentional. I can also rely on grace that I would be forgiven as a heinous sinner. But there is a lesson here. This is a great example of how Satan is all around in different forms. I have to be prepared for him.
This weekend I went on a Senior High girls retreat as a chaperon with my church. As usual at a retreat for high school students, there was pizza, Chic-fil-A, sweet tea, brownies, chips, soft drinks, chocolate and candy, and muffins. Fruit was available for breakfast as well. But oh my how much I was tempted. I was craving coke with my pizza and the chocolate was caramel filled Godivas. The Chic-fil-A lunch box came with a brownie. And sweet tea always goes with Chic-fil-A. What a treat, but, not for me! I was good. I’ll admit that I did go hungry. I looked around though. I was not alone. The adults piled their brownies in the middle of the table. My new friend, and roommate for the weekend was also doing no sugar (intentional or not) for health reasons. There is a lesson in that too, right?!
Lord, today in my reading Jesus opened the disciples’ minds to understand the law and prophets before there time (Luke 24 45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.). Please open my mind and eyes so that I too will understand your scripture. Help me to be like Jesus; to not give into temptation and to be prepared with an answer from you when I am tempted.
Also, Lord, there are less than two weeks before the end of this experience with Lent. I’m not just doing this practice to take away something to see if it can be done. I am doing this to remember to pray or talk to you about what you want from me. What is my purpose on this earth? How can you be glorified through me? I ask you for a clear answer when this is done. I ask for strength to obey your desired will for me. Please be proud of me and smile at me when I do obey. Remind me that you love me even though I am a heinous sinner. I know I am going to mess up. I am going to sometimes do what I ought not do and don’t always do what I know I should do. Thank you for Jesus who walked this earth a living sacrifice who knew what it is like to be tempted. Thank you for Jesus who took on my sins and washed them away with his blood so that I can be pure and blameless in your sight, dear Lord.
I can’t believe that this is the last week. It has been 40 days today (unless you are excluding Sundays then it is 34 days), since I have taken on Sara’s challenge. It has been 40 days just like Jesus experienced 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. I have not had any intentional sugar, and I have been trying to read scripture every day to help me understand Jesus and his ministry. I have been praying about my next ministry. I’m still uncertain, but I hope (with expectation) that it will be revealed to me.
Today in my reading, Jesus tells his disciples that he is about to leave this earth, that the prince of the world (Satan) is coming, that He is preparing a place for us and therefore we must obey what he has taught us, and that He will be back to get us to take us home. He is not leaving us as orphans (and that I am very grateful). He is sending His Holy Spirit, a Counselor, to teach us and remind us of the things He has already taught us. Jesus will leave for us peace, His peace.
You have a lovely blog here.
Very interesting topic too!
I have not observed Lent before.