It’s almost upon us…Lent! That time of year when we put oil and ashes on our head and spend the next 6 weeks invoking some kind of personal misery in preparation for the glory of Easter Sunday. Giving up chocolate or coffee or diet soda or some other vice as a sign of sacrifice in unity with our Blessed Lord and Savior.
Okay, that may have been a bit snarky. But sometimes it seems the practice of “giving up something for Lent” can seem a little more self-serving than self-giving.
The practice of giving up something for Lent probably comes from ancient catechism practices, where new converts ended their long (up to 2 years in some cases) preparation with a 40-day period of personal sacrifice and cleansing as sort of a final initiation rite prior to their Easter morning baptisms.
But in a world where the personal Lenten fast has often become more about an individual show of perseverance than a sacrificial act of love, maybe we need some new practices.
This week at New Wineskins, we’ll talk about the concept of “Reverse Lent.” While it’s not a new idea by any means and has been practiced by Christians in some manner for a long time, it’s a way of adding some kind of meaningful practice to your life during Lent rather than taking something away (below are a couple of helpful links with ideas you might find interesting).
So please join us this Sunday, March 3, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company to hear and share some ideas about how “Reverse Lent” might bring some meaning to your season!
Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm
Conversation Begins: 7:00pm
*Check out these websites with ideas of how to do something different for Lent:
Atheism for Lent (not advised unless you are in the midst of deep spiritual deconstruction)
Leave a Reply