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February 13th, 2013

Lent

Lent

So, Lent starts today. Some of you have given up the internet during this time, so you won’t be reading this. Unless you forgot that you had signed up to the email notifications. In which case: sorry, this is the internet here and you have broken your Lenten resolution on day one. Apologies.

Others will be observing Lent in various and sundry ways, perhaps because you find it helpful to do so or because you promised to follow the liturgical calendar of the church at some point and now can’t really get out of it.

As for me: I am following a liturgical calendar of my own devising. I am feasting when I should be fasting, and fasting when I should be feasting. There is, to be honest, probably less fasting than there should be. For this reason (and a scarcity of study materials, etc) I would not recommend following my liturgical calendar.

On Twitter and blogs I see a lot about services attended, luxuries given up and advanced spiritual disciplines undertaken. This has a tendency to make me feel envious and inadequate for reasons that need not concern us in a blog post.

That said, my understanding of a genuine fast / penitent activity is that no one should know about it. So in order to gain any genuine spiritual benefit Lenten tweeting and blogging would have stick to (for instance) photos of A4 sheets of paper, cups of tea, etc.

But I am almost certainly wrong about. In any case, I am choosing to read what is being written. Perhaps I should give up the internet for Lent.

[Drawing: One-armed men go to the pub. Drawn in three minutes - I can do better.]

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6 Responses to “Lent”


  1. chris clark says:

    I think the one armed men should give up banditary for Lent.

    Interesting shaped glasses for milkshakes however :-)

    February 13th, 2013 at 9:32 am
  2. Sue, Reader in Birmingham says:

    I am preaching on Lent this Sunday, but now I think I should give that up for Lent, and just pass round paper copies of your blog – all our congregation are over 65 (I am 63) – else I would just tell them to get out their I phones & look you up; the rest of the time will be passed observing each other’s piety.

    February 13th, 2013 at 12:41 pm
  3. Dave says:

    Chris – There is some doubt as to whether the glasses are empty. If empty there may be an awkward pause, as both know they are ill equipped to carry the round back to the table.

    Sue – I think directing people to my blog would be a bad idea, as it is evident that I don’t know what I am talking about. I hope your sermon goes well.

    February 13th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
  4. Deacon Susan in California says:

    I am thinking they may be identical twins as they both only have three fingers. I look forward to hearing more Lenten wisdom from them as the weeks go by. They are wise not to have given up going to the pub for Lent. I will be distributing ashes later today. Hope I do not sneeze.

    February 13th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
  5. Russ says:

    Fair points, good and true. My Lenten activity will certainly be less than it should be, and erratically random. For what it’s worth, I’m blogging on it at the website linked. It’s unlikely to intimidate, but I hope a sense of shared struggle and good intentions feebly applied might prove mildly encouraging …

    February 14th, 2013 at 9:02 am
  6. Dave says:

    Thanks Russ. I will look forward to reading. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned about the ‘inadequate’ bit – it really is only the case in certain cases.

    February 14th, 2013 at 10:21 am