Are you giving anything up?

Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent during which time many Christians give up some sort of vice or bad habit as an act of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbor). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.

I was thinking about these things this morning, and what I might possibly give up, when I came across a story that said that British church leaders are encouraging people to give up their iPods for Lent. They believe this will help save the planet.

They said to give up technology such as cell phone and iPods and also suggested eating by candlelight, cutting meats and vegetables thinner so that they will cook faster and flushing the toilet less often. I actually think I could do all of those except for the toilet thing. I just can't use the toilet and not flush it. Maybe I could put some antibacterial wet wipes in the bathroom and use those instead of washing my hands....that might help save the planet. I don't know though. I just HAVE to flush and wash my hands. It's a good idea even if I can't bring myself to do it.

So how about you? Are you giving anything up for Lent?

A new beginning

Fat Tuesday has ended and Lent has begun. Many Christian religions observe Lent but do you know what it is?

Lent is the forty day period before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert and continues until Easter Sunday and the Resurrection. Some churches calculate the 40 days in different ways.

From Wikipedia:

What is Lent?

» The 40-day period is a time for Christians to reflect on their relationship with God and prepare for the holiest day of the year, Easter, commemorating Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Stemming from early church practice, the focus is typically on sorrow for sin, prayer, fasting and giving to the poor.

» Lent, which stems from an Old English word for springtime, lasts 40 days because of the biblical account of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness fasting and praying before beginning his ministry.

» Western Christians begin Lent on Ash Wednesday, which is Feb. 25 this year. (Sundays are not counted among the 40 days because the resurrection is celebrated each Sunday.)

» For many Christians, Lent officially ends at Easter. For Roman Catholics, it ends on the evening of Holy Thursday.

» For Orthodox Christians, the Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, which is March 2 this year, and ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday.

What’s with the ashes?

» In most mainline Christian services on Ash Wednesday, the priest or pastor imposes ashes (from burning last year’s Palm Sunday palms) in the sign of the cross on the foreheads of worshipers. The priest or pastor typically says a few words about what the ashes symbolize.

» The Bible describes believers using ashes as a symbol of repentance, and the practice stems from that.

Whatever your beliefs (or non-beliefs) happen to be, I wish you a happy Lent season. I hope that you reach any goals you may have set for yourself. God bless you.