Today marks Ash Wednesday, the marked beginning of Lent. Our current culture has decided that it is a period of 46 Days for a bunch of people to attempt to kick an unhealthy habit or try and go without something. Lent seems to be perfectly timed to re-try those New Year's Resolutions that didn't quite get resolved. While yes, it was intended as a time to "go without" certain things, it was more of a time for fasting, which is VASTLY different from just giving something up for a while.
Greg and I are not New Year's Resolution people. They never seem to work and I always seemed to try and come up with something to change because I was "supposed to". I've given Lent a shot in the past, and have been semi-successful, mainly with my attempt to give up cokes. Yet, again, I was simply "giving up"
things and was totally missing the whole reasoning behind WHY I was giving these things up.
An excerpt from
The Village's website gives an adequate description of Lent and why, we as Christians should take part:
The Season of Lent
Lent is about the gospel. It is a time to narrow the focus of the Church to the work of Christ, in particular His life and death, a season to turn from sin and trust in His atoning work.
It is easy to get lost in the cultural caricature of Easter and miss the meaning. Lent is a reminder that the resurrection only occurred after the crucifixion. Rather than skipping over the ministry and crucifixion of Christ, Lent is a season to prepare ourselves for the joy of Resurrection Sunday as we symbolically enter the sorrow and pain which preceded it.
This year, Greg and I have decided to do a little re-fining together and hone-in on the true meaning behind lent. We've committed to go through the
Season of Lent study that The Village Church is doing corporately as a body. It's not the kind of study where you read and then show up on Sunday's and hear a sermon that reiterates what you've been studying. The study is designed to do individually, with a spouse or family, or even with a home group. It's a study that will guide us on reading, praying, meditating, and even fasting. Needless to say, I'm excited.
Since this is an individual study, hear me be the first to say that as a couple, we will need and want to be held accountable. We WANT to see this study through to completion and participate on all fronts. It WILL be difficult. We WILL be challenged and the devil will seek every way to distract us and tell us that we're too busy, too tired, in bad moods, etc. So, hold me accountable. Hold Greg Accountable. Hold us accountable together. Maybe that means that you too go through the
Season of Lent guide alongside us. Up for the challenge?
