Ash Wednesday and Lent

[JohnDB]

Coming up...
What are you going to give up for Lent?

I was thinking of giving up exercise...but my wife vetoed that one.

How about you?

 

[humble soul]

I am going to give up telling good jokes. Thats so hard for me. Because Im normally such a funny guy.

 

[JohnDB]

Happy Ash Wednesday!

If anyone would follow me, deny himself.

We've been debating what to give up. It can't be coffee...too late for that.

Chocolate?
Sodas?
Books?
Video streaming?
Tea?

 

[WIP]

I've never understood the tradition of giving up something only during the Lenten season. Growing up in the Catholic church we were expected to give up eating red meat on Fridays during lent. It was referred to as a fast. Except remembering to avoid eating red meat on that day each week, it is hardly a difficulty or even an inconvenience. If one wants to truly use red meat as a form of fast, perhaps give it up entirely for the Lenten season and go vegetarian. That would definitely give us something to think about.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Coming up...
What are you going to give up for Lent?

I was thinking of giving up exercise...but my wife vetoed that one.

How about you?

The same thing that I give up every year,.. trying to find my marbles.

 

[humble soul]

Give up obsessing about people from my past. Maybe give up the past altogether for Lent?

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Give up obsessing about people from my past. Maybe give up the past altogether for Lent?

Sounds like a great idea to me!! :biggrin

 

[Tessa]

Give up obsessing about people from my past. Maybe give up the past altogether for Lent?

Didn't know what to give up. I like that, going to do it.

 

[GodsGrace]

Coming up...
What are you going to give up for Lent?

I was thinking of giving up exercise...but my wife vetoed that one.

How about you?

I thought only the CC did this.....

I used to teach the kids to do the positive.
Instead of giving up something...
they'd put change in a little box and then we'd send it to a poor group in Brazil.
OR
I'd ask them to do one good thing every day and write it on a piece of paper in a small box...then they'd each read what they did to help out their family or the world in general.

This is supposed to show them that they could actually have some control over the things they want and that those things wouldn't be so missed that life would end !

I don't give up anything.
I already know my lessons.

 

[JohnDB]

Giving up something for Lent isn't supposed to be torturous or super painful. It's not supposed to be too easy either.
It's a partial fast of sorts of something you enjoy regularly but for forty days you will go without. Its about mastery over your body instead of slavery to its wants.
Many people give up sodas. Others give up sugar and candy. Others drink tea and give up coffee.
A lot of people outside of Catholics practice Lent.
Egyptian Christians (Coptics) go without meat whatsoever for Lent.
Lutheran usually do Lent.
It just depends...its not a horrible thing to gain mastery over your fleshly desires.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Giving up something for Lent isn't supposed to be torturous or super painful. It's not supposed to be too easy either.
It's a partial fast of sorts of something you enjoy regularly but for forty days you will go without. Its about mastery over your body instead of slavery to its wants.
Many people give up sodas. Others give up sugar and candy. Others drink tea and give up coffee.
A lot of people outside of Catholics practice Lent.
Egyptian Christians (Coptics) go without meat whatsoever for Lent.
Lutheran usually do Lent.
It just depends...its not a horrible thing to gain mastery over your fleshly desires.

Yeah I know, it's just not my cup of tea as I honestly don't have any will power. To me it's like making New Year's resolutions that you know is never going to happen.

 

[WIP]

Ash Wednesday service this evening our Pastor challenged us to include some kind of fasting during this Lenten season. Now, I need to think about it and maybe I'll come up with something.

 

[Corn Pop]

I'm not giving up anything. I don't need to prove anything, giving something up is only for the self proud to humble themsleves.

Seriously, what is the point in me giving something up for what cause?, to prove what to who?

 

[WIP]

I'm not giving up anything. I don't need to prove anything, giving something up is only for the self proud to humble themsleves.

Seriously, what is the point in me giving something up for what cause?, to prove what to who?

Fasting is Biblical and by definition it means to refrain from eating certain foods, or in the extreme all foods, for a period of time and should accompanied with prayer and meditation. As I understand it, the purpose is to focus on getting closer with God and to help remind us of how much God provides for us. This is partly why I didn't understand the red meat fast in the Catholic church because the focus was too much on our action (the fast) and not enough on it true purpose (prayer, meditation, and God), although I didn't recognize it at the time.

Most of us have probably never experienced real hunger and fasting can help us gain empathy for those in need.

 

[GodsGrace]

Giving up something for Lent isn't supposed to be torturous or super painful. It's not supposed to be too easy either.
It's a partial fast of sorts of something you enjoy regularly but for forty days you will go without. Its about mastery over your body instead of slavery to its wants.
Many people give up sodas. Others give up sugar and candy. Others drink tea and give up coffee.
A lot of people outside of Catholics practice Lent.
Egyptian Christians (Coptics) go without meat whatsoever for Lent.
Lutheran usually do Lent.
It just depends...its not a horrible thing to gain mastery over your fleshly desires.

Fasting is Biblical and by definition it means to refrain from eating certain foods, or in the extreme all foods, for a period of time and should accompanied with prayer and meditation. As I understand it, the purpose is to focus on getting closer with God and to help remind us of how much God provides for us. This is partly why I didn't understand the red meat fast in the Catholic church because the focus was too much on our action (the fast) and not enough on it true purpose (prayer, meditation, and God), although I didn't recognize it at the time.

Most of us have probably never experienced real hunger and fasting can help us gain empathy for those in need.

I agree. Just eliminating something from our diet without understanding why is useless.

How many do not eat steak,,,but replace it with lobster!
Some sacrifice!

 

[Corn Pop]

Fasting is Biblical and by definition it means to refrain from eating certain foods, or in the extreme all foods, for a period of time and should accompanied with prayer and meditation. As I understand it, the purpose is to focus on getting closer with God and to help remind us of how much God provides for us. This is partly why I didn't understand the red meat fast in the Catholic church because the focus was too much on our action (the fast) and not enough on it true purpose (prayer, meditation, and God), although I didn't recognize it at the time.

Most of us have probably never experienced real hunger and fasting can help us gain empathy for those in need.

Everyone already knows what it's like to be hungry, that's why when your hungry you eat. I'm not going to starve myself for no reason, that's just extreme.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Everyone already knows what it's like to be hungry, that's why when your hungry you eat. I'm not going to starve myself for no reason, that's just extreme.

Yes, but not everybody is as fortunate and there are literally starving people out there.

 

[jasonc]

I know , I contact the ouc kill power to Disney ,and no Disney for,that time .lol.

I have never tried lent

 

[WIP]

Everyone already knows what it's like to be hungry, that's why when your hungry you eat. I'm not going to starve myself for no reason, that's just extreme.

Feeling hungry between meals is not what I'm talking about. Those hunger pangs are not indicative of those suffered by truly hungry people.

When our daughters were in high school, one of the school extra curriculars they were involved with did a 24-hour fast (nothing to eat and only water to drink) at the school to raise money for a food program and I was one of the chaperones. It wasn't required but I fasted with the students. Twenty-four hours is hardly a long fast but if you've never done it, you'd be surprised how hungry you feel for a while. After about 16 hours, my hunger pangs began to subside and by the time it was over, I wasn't really feeling hungry at all anymore. I've never gone longer but I would only be guessing that perhaps the hunger pangs would return after some time.

 

[Corn Pop]

Feeling hungry between meals is not what I'm talking about. Those hunger pangs are not indicative of those suffered by truly hungry people.

When our daughters were in high school, one of the school extra curriculars they were involved with did a 24-hour fast (nothing to eat and only water to drink) at the school to raise money for a food program and I was one of the chaperones. It wasn't required but I fasted with the students. Twenty-four hours is hardly a long fast but if you've never done it, you'd be surprised how hungry you feel for a while. After about 16 hours, my hunger pangs began to subside and by the time it was over, I wasn't really feeling hungry at all anymore. I've never gone longer but I would only be guessing that perhaps the hunger pangs would return after some time.

We had that at school, it was called the 40 hour famine. No food you could only have liquid(water krjuice) and barley sugars( A type of candy). Probably to keep sugur levels up. I never starved myself because if there is food to eat I'm going to eat. One day I might not have food so best take it when it's there. Denying food when you can eat is disrespecting food when you do have food to eat.