Lent is coming 'what are you giving up'

[SeminarianMike]

With lent coming Wednesday I would like to throw out a little topic. What will you give up? Buying pens or ink... Nooooo that's crazy . That's to much suffering: for me I will give up my beloved weekend cigar and gummy bears... Things I both love ! Just a lighter topic share here

[Terie_Benjamin]

Sanity. Lol

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I'm not a Christian so it doesn't really apply to me.

'Sides which, it's hard to take seriously the sacrifice of anything if you are simply intending to carry on as normal a few days later. It smacks of a lack of serious commitment. Quite apt for our times perhaps.

[jar]

Worry.

[Paddler]

Unlike y'all, I plan to do something positive. I am going to take a couple of musical instruments that I have been neglecting and learn a few new tunes on them. I am going to practice them up to concert scratch and then take them a-busking. Maybe it will take people's minds off their growling stomachs and withdrawal symptoms that you bible thumpers have convinced them to endure.

[kazoolaw]

'Sides which, it's hard to take seriously the sacrifice of anything if you are simply intending to carry on as normal a few days later. It smacks of a lack of serious commitment. Quite apt for our times perhaps.

It's difficult to carry on a fast without returning to normal at some point.

[jar]

In our family one of the passages that was always discussed regarding the purpose of fasting is from Isaiah:

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
Isaiah 58: 6-8

Each Lenten season we tried to do stuff, not just NOT do stuff. We bundled up toys to pass on and used our allowances to fill up the little paper box with all the children of the world on it, make sure we said something nice to a kid at school that we didn't normally play with and put aside ME even if for just a little while.

Even today I like to return to little stuff; playing the Rice Bowl game several times each day; turning off the time restrictions I set on my computers running the World Community Grid .

[Morgaine]

6427860 grains of rice donated yesterday (10th). I'm off to have a little session on it now!

[jar]

A short pitch for the World Community Grid.

Here is how IBM describes the project:

World Community Grid enables anyone with a computer, smartphone or tablet to donate their unused computing power to advance cutting-edge scientific research on topics related to health, poverty and sustainability. Through the contributions of over 650,000 individuals and 460 organizations, World Community Grid has supported 25 research projects to date, including searches for more effective treatments for cancer, HIV/AIDS and neglected tropical diseases. Other projects are looking for low-cost water filtration systems and new materials for capturing solar energy efficiently.

It is a way each of us can contribute to scientific research one may of the issues the world faces. I've been a member for over a decade and contributed the equivalent of 35 Years of computing time on various projects. There has never been a security risk or performance issue. Learn more about the World Community Grid here.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm not a Christian so it doesn't really apply to me.

'Sides which, it's hard to take seriously the sacrifice of anything if you are simply intending to carry on as normal a few days later. It smacks of a lack of serious commitment. Quite apt for our times perhaps.

Forty days is a lonnnnng time. And it is symbolic of something greater. To 'give up stuff' without understanding the meaning behind it is what seems pointless to me.

[migo984]

As religious festivals are completely irrelevant to me, I won't be doing anything different.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I'm not a Christian so it doesn't really apply to me.

'Sides which, it's hard to take seriously the sacrifice of anything if you are simply intending to carry on as normal a few days later. It smacks of a lack of serious commitment. Quite apt for our times perhaps.

Forty days is a lonnnnng time. And it is symbolic of something greater. To 'give up stuff' without understanding the meaning behind it is what seems pointless to me.

I would prefer to see those people giving of themselves in the service of others, every day for those 40 days, rather than simply giving up stuff that they probably won't miss anyway - which has often seemed the case.

Understand I am not against any of these things, if they are done with the right intent.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm not a Christian so it doesn't really apply to me.

'Sides which, it's hard to take seriously the sacrifice of anything if you are simply intending to carry on as normal a few days later. It smacks of a lack of serious commitment. Quite apt for our times perhaps.

Forty days is a lonnnnng time. And it is symbolic of something greater. To 'give up stuff' without understanding the meaning behind it is what seems pointless to me.

I would prefer to see those people giving of themselves in the service of others, every day for those 40 days, rather than simply giving up stuff that they probably won't miss anyway - which has often seemed the case.

Understand I am not against any of these things, if they are done with the right intent.

I do understand that.

But just by way of explanation... and our Seminarian could probably explain this far better... the Holy Spirit drove Christ into the desert, where, for forty days, He went without food and was tempted by the Devil.

Those of us who observe Lent do so in emulation of that event.

While I understand the recent emphasis on 'giving rather than going without,' I am by no means a modernist, and so my observation is far more traditional.

[jar]

I do understand that.

But just by way of explanation... and our Seminarian could probably explain this far better... the Holy Spirit drove Christ into the desert, where, for forty days, He went without food and was tempted by the Devil.

Those of us who observe Lent do so in emulation of that event.

While I understand the recent emphasis on 'giving rather than going without,' I am by no means a modernist, and so my observation is far more traditional.

Remember, Christianity has never been monolithic. The idea of giving is not all that new, at least my experience was that giving up with a purpose was essential. And this is from experiences in the 40s and 50s. We were encouraged not just to give stuff up but rather give stuff we really liked to those who did not have.

Baltimore in the postwar years was a study in contrasts. Back then, disabled veterans were often seen on the streets downtown, literally begging or selling pencils. There was one who stood at the door of the place many of the politicians ate breakfast (and did the real deals) and he would open the door for them and address each one by name. Folks called him Elijah. Another, who had lost both his legs and sat on one of those little dollies mechanics use to roll under cars, sold pencils outside a high rise Insurance company. Another played the harmonica standing on crutches, the loose right pants leg waving in the wind. Things were not always great for everyone.

Dad encouraged us to say hello to these folk, to wish them good luck that day, to ask how they were feeling. If we got to go to lunch with dad he would let me ask for the dessert in a bag and let me take it to one of the gentlemen.

At church, we had special collections, hand-me-down clothes and toys, food baskets and what we called clean up kits (a wash cloth, soap, tooth brush, toothpaste). Much of this went on year round but during Lent there was a special emphasis; a feeling of preparation for spring, rebirth, Easter.

[Flounder]

I always enjoy your 'society when we had one' vignettes, Jar.

[jar]

I always enjoy your 'society when we had one' vignettes, Jar.

Wow. Thanks. I hope folk at least take away an understanding that the Good Old Days were old days but not always so good. Like today, life was complex and never quite fit on the bumper stickers.

[Jeremy]

Carbohydrates.
Not exactly all carbohydrates, but a significant reduction in my daily intake of them.

As well as walking in the morning before work.
Sort of my strategy to get fit.

[Mags]

I gave up beef, chicken and porc. I shall donate my meat to a food bank.

[mhphoto]

My wife is giving up sweets. Which effectively means I'm giving up sweets.

[krischuck]

I'm going to give up buying pizza for this. this is pure suffering.