Lent

No...not the stuff you pick out of the dryer. That's lint. This is a season in the church calendar, like Advent.

Take a moment and let me share a song from one of my very favorite singer-song writers, Andrew Peterson.  Lyrically a fantastic song, especially for the season. Hosanna!

Have you ever done the lion's share of cooking for a big holiday meal? The kind where all the extended family comes out of the woodwork to eat their fill? One can spend the better part of a week actively preparing dishes for such a big meal. And in 20 minutes, 30 max the meal is done and you're left with a week's worth of dishes. That's how I feel about the day after a holiday. December 26th, Easter Monday, July 5th, April 4th (or whatever the day after your birthday is)--you've looked forward to these occasions of celebration for a whole year and all of a sudden like that, they're over.

That's why I like the seasons of the Church Calendar. Advent and Lent are the most familiar, Advent leading up to Christmas, and Lent the 40 days leading up to Easter. Resurrection Sunday should be the Christian's biggest cause for celebration. What better news? What better gift than our Savior defeating death and sharing it with us? It's far more than one can contemplate or celebrate in one Sunday, or even in one week (Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter, with its own significant observances). Neither Wes or I come from church traditions that make a big deal about Lent (which is fine). But this year I decided that we should (or I'd like to) observe Lent with a sacrifice of some sort, which is the tradition. Something that would help me think about Easter, Jesus, his sacrifice, his miraculous rising, and our promise of New Life through the busy weeks leading up to Easter Sunday.

This year we have given up secular music for this season. I know that occasionally it is good for me to quiet some of the extra voices in my life. Since I like music, I listen to it it quite a lot. Over the past few weeks I've found myself turning the radio off a little more (because when you take away secular music the selection gets much smaller!). It has been good to sit or drive in the silence for a while.

I didn't choose music because I think there is something wrong with secular music. I quite enjoy it. It has been a sacrifice for me to go without it, and it's been a sacrifice of my pride and preferences to have my car radio set to K-LOVE for the last several weeks. I recognize that for this season it's more imoportant for me to hear the words focused (mostly) on God than anything else, it helps my mind wander in good directions.

Have you ever given something up for Lent? What is your experience like? I hope it has helped you focus on God's amazing love for you, and your need for Jesus' sacrifice.

God bless,

Elaine

P. S. It's hard to even write this post using the labels "secular" and "Christian" for music since that is another whole conversation, but they work for getting my point across.