Why i don't like what Lent has become…

How many times have I been asked, “What are you giving up for Lent?”

Even on Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN they talked about it.

Caffeine, facebook, twitter, sex, sweets, fried foods, buying clothes, coffee…the list of things to give up goes on and on and on.

But, I have a problem with what Lent has become.

Lent has become just a season to give something up. To sacrifice something.

But Lent was never meant to be just a season of giving something up but a season when you give something up and re-place it with something greater.

This is also my problem with most people’s understanding of fasting. People fast. Give up food. But they never re-place it with something more.

Fasting is meant to teach us to depend on God. We don’t fast just for the sake of fasting. It’s not a magic formula that when put into place the genie in the bottle grants your wish. Fasting is meant to teach us to feast well. To appreciate what God provides for us.

We fast from food to learn how to feast well. To appreciate the food that lands on the table each and every meal.

We fast from technology to appreciate the wonderful gift of global communication and connection.

We fast from spending so that we learn to spend well and learn that giving is more important than getting.

When we fast just to fast we accomplish nothing more than being hungry.

That’s my problem with what Lent has become. People give something up just because you’re supposed to give something up. But that does nothing except for leave us miserable and by the end we might even become bitter.

What if we gave something up and re-placed it with something else. Re-place facebook with more face-to-face conversations. Re-place texting with personal interaction. Re-place caffeine with better sleep and exercise rhythms. Re-place sweets with Scripture. Re-place twitter with times of silence. Re-place spending for the sake of spending with giving to those in need.

We give up something and re-place it with something else…something that reminds us that God is in the process of redeeming His creation back to Himself. Re-place it with a discipline that will help us draw nearer to the heart of God.

Ruth Barton just put out a devotion about the Lenten season. In the devotion she pointed out that although the question, “What are you giving up?”, is a good question, it only takes us so far. She challenges us to ask two other questions that will challenge us to draw nearer to the heart of God and to the heart of the season of Lent.

Question 1 :: How will I clear out the junk and garbage in my life so that I can be restored to God in some fresh way?

Question 2 :: What are the disciplines that will open up space for God to create a clean heart and new spirit in me?

So, what junk and garbage do you need to rid yourself of this Lenten season? What things clutter your heart? What things distract you from pursuing God? What things have re-placed God in your life? What are the idols in your life?

But, don’t stop there. Ask youself what you will re-place those things with.

How will you pursue God more? How will you give more? What discipline will you practice this Lenten season? Who will you invest in? Who will you pour into? Who will you love? Who will you forgive? How will you bring the Kingdom of God to your world?

I’m still not sure what I’m giving up but I’m going to read through a Lenten season reading schedule. I’m starting on Monday, February 22.  You can join me here…

Week 1 ::

Mon.Feb.22 :: Isaiah 58:1-12
Tues.Feb.23 :: Psalm 51:1-17
Wed.Feb.24 :: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Thurs.Feb.25 :: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Fri.Feb.26 :: Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Week 2 ::

Mon.March.1 :: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Tues.March.2 :: Romans 10:8b-13
Wed.March.3 :: Luke 4: 1-13
Thurs.March.4 :: Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18
Fri.March.5 :: Psalm 27

Week 3 ::

Mon.March.8 :: Philippians 3:17-41
Tues.March.9 :: Luke 13:31-35
Wed.March.10 :: Isaiah 55:1-9
Thurs.March.11 :: Psalm 63:1-8
Fri.March.12 :: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Week 4 ::

Mon.March.15 :: Luke 13:1-9
Tues.March.16 :: Joshua 5:9-12
Wed.March.17 :: Psalm 32
Thurs.March.18 :: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Fri.March.19 :: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Week 5 ::

Mon.March.22 :: Isaiah 43:16-21
Tues.March.23 :: Psalm 126
Wed.March.24 :: Philippians 3:4b-14
Thurs.March.25 :: John 12:1-8
Fri.March.26 :: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Week 6 ::

Mon.March.29 :: Luke 19:28-40
Tues.March.30 :: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Wed.March.31 :: Psalm 31: 9-16
Thurs.Apr.1 :: Philippians 2:5-11
Fri.Apr.2 :: Luke 22:14-23:56

According to Wikipedia, Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.