To Give Up or to Take On?

In my youth, Lent always seemed to be about giving up, usually sweets for children, alcohol for adults – although, looking back, I do question the health implications of giving up my daily apple.

Then, when I was teaching, it was all about raising money. Each year was given a charity and during Lent raised money for that charity. (There was a choice for the older girls). That meant organising sponsored events, cake sales – although we had to put a limit on those – and other means of raising money. For many years I organised a year outing to a musical; we saw Cats, Starlight Express, Les Miserables. Phantom of the Opera and many others. Sadly, those trips had to end when tickets became so expensive that it was impossible to add together ticket cost, coach hire and a donation to the charity and still charge each pupil a reasonable amount.

More latterly, the emphasis seemed to move to taking on good deeds – after all, we were told from the pulpit, Lent was not a time for personal loss of weight- and such things as 40 Acts of Kindness became a popular way of marking the season.

How refreshing it was, yesterday morning at the 10am service, to hear Gill talk about the range of possibilities of Lenten efforts. These included giving up and taking on but also joining a Lent group (there is one starting tomorrow evening), reading – perhaps one of the books particularly recommended for daily study in Lent – praying, such as slowly working through the Lord’s Prayer and rest, taking time to be with God.

Whatever appeals, the most important feature is to use this season of Lent to grow closer to God. Only then, do we truly enter into the celebration of Easter.

Help us, Father, during these days of Lent, to come close to you and to listen to your voice. Give us strength to overcome the temptation to please ourselves and live life without you. Instead, may we grow in wisdom and prayer that we might witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen