Most bloggers covet their subscribers and feed off the statistical attention. Why would any blogger encourage loyal readers to leave?
Well, this blogger took an inventory of just how many words he had been sending to his readers—many of them free, some of them for pay. He wondered if the heart of his message might be lost in the abundance of words.
He was moved by Paul’s closing words to the people of Philippi, with whom Paul had shared some trying times.
“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
It’s Lent, he concluded. Take a break from listening to me, search your hearts, and put what you might have learned into practice.
Devoted Christians choose something to deny themselves. It’s supposed to be something we miss and it’s supposed to be something done in secrecy.
The tradition is intended to create a sense of sacrifice in honor of the sacrifice of God’s Son. This started out much more grandly than it is typically practiced today. It was a season of serious fasting. But that was just too hard.
Fridays were once like that, too. Friday was a day of Christian fasting in a regular remembrance of Good Friday. When that became too difficult, the custom shifted, with the Church’s permission, to shunning meat. Fish didn’t count. Whew!
Lent has been similarly compromised from its original intent. The things most people sacrifice in secrecy are things we want to give up anyway—cigarettes, liquor, sweets.
We are not very good at this sacrificial stuff, are we?
Perhaps it would restore a sense of Lenten sacrifice to do something proactive for the 40 days of Lent. Perhaps our sacrifice should be our time and self-centered attention.
Instead of dwelling on ourselves and our suffering for atonement, perhaps it would be more helpful to sacrifice in ways that would benefit more than our personal state of grace. Instead of NOT doing something this Lent, think about what we CAN DO to help others.
Instead of not eating meat or ice cream or chocolate, feed someone.
Instead of spending time on our own entertainment, take an hour a day and do something with family.
Instead of shopping for a new Easter outfit, clean out the closets and give good clothes to the needy. If you want a real sense of sacrifice, give away a favorite outfit!
Instead of checking Facebook five times a day, send one greeting card a day to someone who needs to know they are loved.
If you’ve neglected your God-given talents, use them daily during Lent to write, paint, sing, sew or practice the piano.
Create a new faith discipline. Start a faith journal.
Doing something for others — and thereby sacrificing self-interest — just might make for a more meaningful Lent.
How might you sacrifice proactively?
02 Feb 2013
Undercover Bishop: A Parable for Today’s Church
Join Bishop Ruby Kinisa as she visits small churches "under cover" to learn what people would never share if they knew they were talking to their bishop.
Undercover Bishop will always be available in PDF form on 2x2virtualchurch.com for FREE.
Print or Kindle copies are available on Amazon.com.
For bulk copies, please contact 2x2: creation@dca.net.
Contact Info
You can reach
Judy Gotwald,
the moderator of 2x2,
at
creation@dca.net
or 215 605 8774
Redeemer’s Prayer
We were all once strangers, the weakest, the outcasts, until someone came to our defense, included us, empowered us, reconciled us (1 Cor. 2; Eph. 2).
2×2 Sections
Where in the World is 2×2?
On Isaiah 30:15b
Be calm. Wait. Wait. Commit your cause to God. He will make it succeed. Look for Him a little at a time. Wait. Wait. But since this waiting seems long to the flesh and appears like death, the flesh always wavers. But keep faith. Patience will overcome wickedness.
—Martin Luther
