Lent

Robdar

Christians are preparing to enter Lent. And of course, with Lent comes fasting.

Orthodox Christians recognize five levels of fasting:

Abstaining from meat (Starting tomorrow at sun down)
Abstaining from meat, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese
Abstaining from meat, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and fish
Abstaining from meat, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, fish, oil, and wine
Abstaining from all foods and beverages except bread, water, juices, honey, and nuts.

Lent is one of those Christian rituals that attracts and yet repels me. I used to find it quite humorous that millions of people would feel so guity about being human that they would try to redeem themselves by denying themselves food in order to suck up to a vengeful, tribal god. For the life of me, I couldn't understand it. It just seemed to me to be another way that organized ~~crime~~ religion kept its members dependent on the church for salvation. Why should I bother with observing Lent?

But lately, I am beginning to look at Lent in a different light. I think that Lent could bring about changes in my personality that could be good for my character. For example, Lent can give me better understanding of what I can do without and still be happy. In this land of plenty and instant gratification, that isn't a bad thing to know about your self.

Lent can possibly help me develop patience. I would have to be patient to maintain a 40 day fast period.

Also, you can't beat fasting for cleansing the body of toxins. By controlling the meat I eat and going to a mostly veggie diet for 40 days, I will be purifying my body . That isn't a bad way to start the new year. Although with all that fiber, I do worry about gas.

All and all, it might be time for a little self discovery. I may give Lent a go this year.

Any thoughts on Lent? Do you think like it? Do you dread it? Do you fast? If so, what sort of fasting?

Robyn

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JamesThomas

I enjoyed how you expressed yourself there, Robdar; and would agree that the first cleansing should be of the tribal ideas of God. That done, it pretty much comes down to here and now, and how we care for ourselves and others. JamesT

Scully

I'm willing to give up celibacy for lent.

Love, Scully

A Paduan

Fasting may provide the awareness of giving and sharing.

"this is my body" - here, eat this, instead of me on my own - it is "given up for you"

So then "do this in memory of me" - go without some and give someone else what would be yours.

It's the Lord's supper, rather than eating whereby people " go ahead with their own meal ".

Dawn

I might be wrong here - but I think Lent is really a Catholic thing. I don't hear about it in other Chrisitian teachings.

I don't necessarily agree with Lent - I believe that all those laws & traditions were done away with when Christ came and were replaced with the one perfect law - love.

However - if you wanted to follow those eating guidelines as a health benefit then that could be a good thing. I gave up red meat a few months ago because I am at high risk for heart disease. I eat fish, and some poultry, but mostly vegetables, fruit, lentils, pasta, and grains. I do still eat dairy products (hey - gotta have the cheese with my wine). I feel better physically and according to my last tests I have low cholesterol and triglycerides. Meat is a good source of protein - and animals can digest the cellulous in plants that we can not so by eating animals we get nutrients we could not get any other way. For this reason I wouldn't recommend giving up meat completely - but domestic cows have a lot of crap in them - from antibiotics feed to them at the stockyard to the pesticides in the grains - as well as horomones. I would recommend excluding (or at least reducing) meat that is domestically grown - eat only non-red meat that is organically raised.

Of course - it's expensive to eat organically grown food so it's a matter of money resources also. Just my 2 cents.

ballistic

After my great results from giving up smoking and going on a diet, I was going to give up alcohol for lent (less drastic that giving it up all-together).

So... it starts tomorrow night??? Damn. Guess that's it then?

Robdar

it pretty much comes down to here and now, and how we care for ourselves and others

James, you put that well. Thanks for commenting.

I'm willing to give up celibacy for lent.

Scully,

Cute!

A Paduan,

As always, another interesting thought. Thank you.

but I think Lent is really a Catholic thing

Dawn,

There are Orthodox Christians in this house. Well, actually one. You are right, the protestants don't pay much attention to Lent

So... it starts tomorrow night??? Damn. Guess that's it then?

Ballistic,

For the Orthodox it starts tomorrow. Or that is what I was told. For the Catholics I believe it starts Wed, March 5.

Thanks everybody for posting.

Love yas,

Robyn

ballistic

OK, thanks R, I guess that IS it then, 'cas although it takes me ages to get round to things, when I say it, I actually do it.

Francois

I'm not in favor of self-abnegation in any of its many forms. I am not in favor of beating one's self with a flail, or cutting one's self with sharp object, or shaving the little hair I have, or of mixing ashes in it either.

I can find no place in the scriptures to justify such nonsense - any more than I can find justification there to go house-to-house; to prove my love for god by the number of hours of field service I turn in; to shun people I love; to withhold medical treatment, the proper application of which can be most beneficial in protecting life.

And I cannot find anything anywhere in any scripture that makes me feel that giving up some level of food is some sort of sacrifice that makes the individual practicing such self-deception more fragrant in the nostrils of God.

We all know exactly what is required of us; we were informed of this "easy yoke" by Jesus, the Master of spiritual practices. How do we justify buying into such a fantastic practice? And an even more fantastic expectation of its outcome?

Doesn't this practice on some level say, "I will do this and it will chage the attitude/love/behavior of God toward me?" And isn't this the same god in whom we know there is no change? Isn't the Lentan practice then a species of civil war within the heart/mind of the believer who knows God does not change, but engages in this puerile practice nonetheless? What does one expect to get from this Lentan thing?

My two cents

francois

Mary

Lent?! Hell, this is my frigging DIET!!

Lent

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