Consider It?

I've got a challenge for you:  Observe Lent this year.

Huh? Why? Waste of time?  I've got other things to do.  Trying to make me Catholic?

No, I promise you.  I'm not.  Just try it!  It's a good use of your time. I promise.

Not a Catholic? Not a liturgical Christian? Not a Christian? Not even sure you believe in God?

So here's my pitch:


I've had the opportunity to get out cross country skiing twice lately. I hope I can do more! I love the strength of body that such exercise promises. It brings me back a bit to my competitive running and skiing days. Yesterday I was thinking of how training for these sports relates to Lent. Training hones the body for competition, observing Lent well hones the soul for life. In training for endurance sports you have different types of workouts. You'd have long runs for building endurance, strength training workouts, sprint workouts for speed. But then there is "interval training."

Basically interval training is where you run/ski/bike/swim (whatever your sport) for very hard for a shorter period of time. You would do a number of these intense bursts spaced out by various lengths of rests. I hated interval days. Bleh. Sometimes it felt like I was going to die right then, especially if the intervals were long in duration with a short break. It sucked. But you know you will be a better runner or skier or athlete in general because of it. It's about going to the next level. Long runs are important. Honing skills are important. Sprint days are important. Heck, rest days play a very important part. But it is those interval training days that will really help one jump up a level.

So I'm challenging you. You! Whoever you are. Join me for a workout! A spiritual workout. Let's observe it together. I won't lie; it is intense and tiring. It's REALLY long. Believe me, 40 days when you are living intensely is long. By day 25 or 30, it is so easy to fizzle out. But let's live, live intensely for a bit. What do you have to lose? Even if you think you are not a "spiritual" person, give it a try. Try your own spin on it. There are many ways to grow. There is such a wide spectrum of personal growth. Ours will all look different.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to pluck, and time to pluck up that which is planted... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..."  Ecclesiastes 3

All Christians observe (and celebrate!) the glorious event of Easter! We remember our Lord and celebrate His victory over sin and death.  We celebrate His birth and His resurrection. Great! But in deciding to live the Christian life we don't just embrace the cozy, feel-good parts right? Jesus told us "Take up your cross and follow me?"  Take up your cross. Does it sound like he's advocating us to walk merely walk through the joyous seasons of Christmas and Easter? It sounds to me like he wants us to walk everywhere he goes. Ack!

So Lent. A penitential season. A time to mourn, a time to weep. In following Jesus we follow Him into the desert for 40 days. That time right before his ministry was purposeful for His ministry. A time of testing. We have our time of testing, which is also a time of building but often we cannot recognize it.  Oftentimes we don't choose our testing times but for Lent, we choose purposefully to undertake this testing (or spiritual training). He has a purpose for us out there in that desert.

This is the time for interval training!  This could be the season, the time, to take you to the next level. Take some time to think things through.  Honestly, I need to do some more of this myself. I've come up with some specific practices for us as a family but I need to do some soul-searching personally. No worries that tomorrow is Lent already (or today depending on when you read this). I don't think you need to have a plan by tomorrow morning.  Ease into it. Take a couple days or a week even to look at your life and come up with a plan.

There are lots of direction you could go. Do you struggle with sadness, anxiety, anger, jealousy? Do you wish you were more grateful, kind, gentle, patient?  Find those weak places. Are you not moderate or balanced in some way? Do you eat too much?  Avoid exercise? Is your mind stagnant, distracted, busy? Do you have a hard time slowing down or are you lazy and sluggish?  Do you suspect there may be a God but avoid even the thought of spiritual things?

I'm not speaking to anyone in particular. Just all of us. Humanity. Myself. Seriously, not one of us can claim to have it all together. I really believe that strength comes in humility. Popular culture tells us that it is all in the building up of side. Self-confidence. But I believe it is the opposite. When you are weak, then you are strong. But I suppose popular culture recoils from this way because it leaves room for God. If there is a God, then I am not strong. There is someone greater than me. Someone I have to answer to and frankly, I don't like that.

But try this way for once. Don't be afraid of your weakness. And when I say weakness, understand I mean sin. Ack! Let's not go there!  Why would I want to wallow in my sin? Let's focus on my strengths, we want to say.

But look at it this way. Everyone can agree on this part. How can we improve as people if we do not know our weaknesses? Yes, we can capitalize on our strengths but even better to loose the grip of weakness (sin) in our lives. Think about it in terms of a house. Sure you can improve the value of your house by remodeling the kitchen.  But who cares about your remodeled kitchen if the foundation is weak? A flood or earthquake might come and wipe that all away!  Strength comes in knowing your weaknesses.

So NOW is the season for working on our weak spots. If you are a Christian, specifically look at sin in your life. It may not be obvious right away.  So it might be helpful to look at the struggles in your day to day life.  What is the trigger point for a real lack of peace? What sin or weakness might be at root of your struggle? What is the opposite virtue for that weakness? For every weakness or sin problem there is an opposite virtue/character trait. Take a temptation/distraction out of your life for 40 days and then add something positive back in.  Spend the first week of your Lent thinking about your own life.  Find some good websites that discuss vices/root sins and also virtues to cultivate. This is often called "spiritual direction."

So let's say you find out what your main weakness/sin is and what virtues counteract them. You might spend your Lent reading up on the topic, praying everyday about making progress in this area of virtue, and then have something concrete to work on everyday.  It will help us greatly to take out distractions for these 40 days to better focus on the spiritual task at hand. These days technology can be a great distraction.  We may not become real hermits but we can become semi-hermits for just over a month. I'll be taking out Facebook. Maybe you might take out television totally or maybe no television in the evenings or no television on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Then add something back in. Perhaps the screen has dulled your mind and you are taking it out of your life for a time. Then pick up an intellectual or spiritual pursuit for this month.  Read instead of watching television.  Read some spiritual or intellectual classic. What an accomplishment if you read "Crime and Punishment" this Lent or read up on the life of Billy Graham or Thomas Aquinas!  Find a list of classics and choose one.

There is so much to do! So many, many ways to grow! Let's not any of us say "But I don't have time!" Let's make time! Let's use our drive to work to pray or listen to a great talk on CD. Let's read a new book or understand our greatest weakness better. It's going to be long and hard but this tough interval will make us all the better. Let's give God more of us so that we can begin to become the best version of ourselves.

I challenge you to embrace your cross this season. Embrace the suffering. Learn about redemptive suffering. Even if your suffering/cross is small compared to others, embrace it and understand what makes it yours. Why this particular cross?
 Pray for me as I attempt to take up this challenge. I need your prayers. If you feel inclined, call me and let's help each other walk on. Then when the sunlight of Easter breaks in again, may we rise up out of the ashes and rejoice in His victory. Let's follow Him. Let's accompany him in the garden of Gethsemane, being crowned with thorns, shamed in nakedness, dragging a cross uphill, the pain of the nails, and then after our mere trials, maybe we'll begin understand Easter on a whole other level.

Couple of ideas:

google "list of things to do for Lent"
google "things to do for year of mercy"
google the blog called "First Things" and "Lent"  (First Things is an ecumenical site, I believe.)

"Repent, and believe in the Gospel"

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."   

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

For I acknowledge my offense,

and my sin is before me always:

"Against you only have I sinned, 

and done what is evil in your sight."

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence, 

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

and a willing spirit sustain in me.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.