What are you giving up for Lent?

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Lent is 40 days, for Christians it is calculated by counting Monday-Saturday.  Sunday is not counted because we celebrate Resurrection on Sundays.  Lent is a time to postpone celebration of resurrection until Easter.  By postponing resurrection celebration, we mourn, and repent.  This causes us to yearn for Easter, and when it arrives, it is celebrated with renewed vigor!

I am giving up all extra internet and computer access on Mondays through Saturdays during lent.  This includes facebook, this blog, checking rss feeds with Google Reader, and anything other than school work, candidating for a pastorate position, or other important business.  I am doing this so that I can redeem the time for connecting with God.  Some people give up chocolate or desserts for lent.  This is a good way to practice self discipline, which when learned, can be applied to our spiritual disciplines as well.

I like the direct aspect of trading time.  If I give up something that uses time, than I now have some extra time.  I then choose to spend some of that time connecting with God through prayer, Bible reading, journaling, singing, resting, etc.

More of my thoughts on this in a next post.

Here comes Lent

Actually, here comes Easter.  Easter is literally seven weeks away.  As I reminisce Easter past in my lifetime, I can only pull up a couple significant memories.
The first one I remember is roughly middle school.  I had a new set of clothes on.  Girls in my age group, whom I was beginning to notice, were also wearing new dresses.  Everybody was looking new and fresh.  The sun was shining, the grass was green, and there were beautiful pink blossoms growing.  I made a connection between Easter and new things.
A special tradition that my mom gave me was a box of peeps:)  I remember Easters with yellow peeps.  Even in college and after being married and having children, my mom still got me yellow peeps.  There is something special about white marshmallow, yellow sugar, and rabbit shapes from mom.  I made a connection between Easter and gifts of love.
Easter 2007, we headed for Berlin Mennonite Church, and lunch with Bruce and Jocelyn Hamsher.  It was the last kick in the pants that we needed to faithfully follow the call on our lives to leave Ohio, head for Hesston, and wind up in beautiful Nebraska.  Suzanne was convicted to let God and I out of the box that she had placed us both in.  I was convicted of my lack of faith in stepping out to follow God's leading.  I lost my last excuse.  I made a connection between Easter and giving up ones life to gain another.
Pre Easter 2009, I was given the opportunity to speak in chapel at Hesston College.  I spoke on Lent.  I didnt' know anything about lent.  So, I learned about lent, and I realized that it was an ancient practice of early Christians.  A way to revive and retell the story of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection.  The idea of lent is that we suffer (give up things), die (surrender ourselves to Jesus' lordship), and rise again (become transformed into the image of Christ).  I made a connection between Easter and God.
How quickly we consider plain, the extravagance of Jesus' life, death, resurrection.  It happens every year.  We celebrate it at Easter... for 1-2 hours.
Here's the deal.  By beginning Ash Wednesday, to purpose to forget the resurrection, we can fully experience the pain, suffering, death, and hopelessness of the end of Jesus' life.  And then, and then, only then can we fully appreciate and celebrate the resurrection!  Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lent Chapel video

I was given the opportunity to speak in Chapel and I choose to speak on Lent, of which I knew little about.  I had some trouble with my powerpoint presentation (I learned some important things from that experience for the future)  The speaking time went very well, and was well received.  I received a lot of feedback, especially people thanking me for presenting Lent in a fresh way for them, and helping them to consider using lent as a way to prepare for Easter and connect deeper with God, just like it is intended.  I also had a number of people tell me that they were mad at me for making them give up something.  Take that one up with God.  My prayer is that your walk with God will be deeper after this, and that resurrection will have fuller meaning.  The end result is lives changed and more Glory for God.

If you happen to be mentioned in this presentation, I thank you for your important part in my life.  I apologize if I offend you with my portrayal of you.  Please understand that you were a part of making this speaking opportunity hit home for the listeners.  God's blessing on you!

Post Lent

As you may recall from my earlier posts about lent, I had forsaken the use of non-school and non-candidating internet access on Mondays through Saturdays during the 40 days of lent.  Well we celebrated Easter yesterday!  He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

This has been a good learning/growing experience.  My intention for lent was to reduce the amount of time and energy that I was spending doing less important things, so that I could spend that time and energy doing more important things.  Was I successful in resisting the temptation to use internet?  Was I successful in becoming a spiritual giant?  The answers are no and no.

But I was successful in reorienting my priorities and connecting with God.  It goes like this:  spend less time on the computer, get my school work done earlier, spend more time with my family, feel more connected with people and less rushed, drawn to reflect on my relationship with God, talk to God about that = success.  Isn't that the whole point?  To connect with God!  Plus there were all the side benefits of relationships with people and being less stressed and disconnected with myself.  Finally, I have realized how less important it is to know what is going on in the internet.  This has been a good discipline, but it isn't complete.  It is a continuous process of refinement.  Just like our relationships with God.  It isn't a one time prayer or commitment.  It is all about everyday, moment by moment, being transformed into the image of Christ.

How is everybody?

Hello, it has been a few days since I have used the internet for reasons of lent other than school or candidating.  That means no facebook, no blogs, no google reader, no email just for fun, etc.  That has actually been going very well.  I have had more time with my family, and gotten more sleep.  Now for the harder part of creating a rhythm that connects with God.  That is the challenge that I have been giving to the chapel at Hesston College and a local church here this morning.  I am going to be selfish, this message is for me first, then for you.

Lenten Intentions

I have been giving up all extra internet access during lent.  I give it up Monday through Saturday and then use it a bunch on Sunday.  It has been going pretty well.  I cheated yesterday evening.  Suzanne and I were doing some planning for the future.  My intention has been to replace the time spent on the computer with time to connect with God.  I have had some great success and some great failure.  I think what I have found is that this is a good practice for year round.  To give up frivolous entertainment and trade it for time with God and my family.  This should be a continuous evaluation that we do on our lives.

Intentional living.  When we don't live intentionally, we end up wasting a lot of the good moments of life.  So, I must practice what I preach.  I am going to post this blog, make some popcorn and watch America's funniest videos with three of my four favorite girls.

God bless you and yours.

We miss you all, wherever you may be.

Hello

Hi!
The Lent, pre easter season has been extremely busy.  Can you tell?
Come Lord Jesus