Last year I gave up Facebook. It was a bit difficult to pull away, but it was SO good for me. It put my even being on Facebook in perspective and gave me freedom. I think that’s one of the reasons for any discipline. Discipline really does give you freedom. I’m going to say that again. Discipline gives you freedom! Amazing how that works. Just like dying to live and giving to receive.
I read a good post this morning by Edie from life{in}grace regarding Lent for those of us who are not Catholic, or even from a liturgical church. No, Lent is not a scriptural command. But, fasting, repentance, prayer, and discipline are. Following the church calendar just helps us not forget those harder things when we are celebrating the “fun” things like Easter and the Resurrection.
"In many cultures there is an ancient custom
of giving a tenth of each year's income to some holy use.
For Christians, to observe the forty days of Lent
is to do the same thing with roughly a tenth of each year's days.
After being baptized by John in the River Jordan,
Jesus went off alone into the wilderness
where he spent forty days asking himself
the question of what it meant to be Jesus.
During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask
one way or another what it means to be themselves...
to answer questions like this is to begin to hear something
not only of who you are but of both what you are becoming
and what you are failing to become.
It can be pretty depressing business all in all,
but if sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it,
something like Easter may be at the end."
~Frederick Buechner
So, even though I am from a non-denominational, evangelical church, I will be observing Lent. Even though I may not be giving up Puttanesca.
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