Though we are not Catholic or liturgical, Daniel and I choose to involve ourselves in the Lent tradition. We are not necessary strict about the specific rules laid out by the Catholic church, but for forty days, we give something up that we like a lot, and try to remain frugal otherwise in both our diet and our lifestyle.
This year, I will be giving up pizza, my absolute favorite food. Daniel will be giving up soft drinks. But I should say right now that this is not a diet, this is not for our weight loss. Many Christians I know (most of whom are not Catholic and/or liturgical) use Lent as an excuse to give up dessert, or give up bad foods, as an attempt to lose weight. It frustrates me to no end. The Lent season is not about losing weight for Jesus. It's not about YOU at all. It's about going through a period of self-denial, penitence, and most importantly, prayer to remember what Jesus went through during His time here on earth.
Another part of Lent that Christians often forget is charity giving. Daniel and I are blessed beyond all means, and we have more than enough for clothes, food, shelter, utilities, (Daniel's) school, and even entertainment. Not everyone has been this blessed. We tithe regularly, and we give to most every organization when we are prompted, at stores, at church, and through other means. I fell in love with community service at Lee University, where I was required to complete eighty hours to graduate. But I don't know that I would say I was pro-active about it, without getting the credit hours for it. However, when I graduated, I agreed to continue this service, and signed a certificate promising I would, long after graduation. This was completely optional - but it was very important to me.
"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He could do something about it... but I'm afraid He might ask me the same question." - Anonymous
I will be keeping this in mind as I "celebrate" this Lenten season. I invite all Christians - even if you're super-Protestant-Pentecostal like me - to give Lent a try. Don't resent liturgical traditions just because they aren't specifically Biblical. Any way to grow closer to God through Jesus Christ is another way we can honor HIM.
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