By the Way: This year, why not consider adding something instead of giving something up for Lent?

By Medicine Hat News on March 2, 2019.

This coming Tuesday is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday. It is a reminder of how powerful latent religious memory is.

In the Judeo-Christian we remember our Jewish ancestors using up all off the leaven on the night of the Passover aware of the journey that was coming. We eat pancakes and avoid Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and the beginning of a penitential journey where we get ready for Easter in 40 days.

This is why we have the practice of giving things up for Lent, it is seen as an important part of Lenten discipline for some Christians.

Many people pick a vice and give it up during the season of Lent. Coffee, chocolate, desserts, booze tend to be the more traditional ones. These days some people swear off social media, giving Facebook and Twitter a pass. Many people over the next little while will say I gave it up for Lent with laugh or a wink and nod.

I have in the past given things up for Lent. This year I am very interested in the 40- bag challenge where you throw out, give away, upcycle, recycle 40 bags of stuff from your house. Given that state of my house I may be all over that one. It is hard, however, to actually embrace the asceticism of a Lenten Discipline. The prospect of going without doesn’t sit well with a culture built on instant gratification and some days I need, I really need my coffee.

For the last few years instead of giving things up I have invited my congregations, friends, and others to consider adding something for Lent rather than giving something up. If they are not in the habit of daily prayer I say why not spend five minutes with God every day. Why not give a compliment a day for 40 days, save a loonie a day during Lent and give it to your church or your favourite charity.

What would it look like if say 1,000 people in our city did that and gave that money to HIV Community Links or the Salvation Army Resource Centre. Well that would be $40,000 for good. If you are on social media perhaps keep your comments positive for 40 days. There are lots of ways we can change for good as we prepare for Christ’s Resurrection.

If you have to give something up for Lent I pray that it will be fear or anger, mistrust of neighbour and the hardness of hearts I have seen rising in our community given circumstance, politics, and lack of trust in our city. This Lent be like Bill and Ted – excellent to each other.

Rev. Dave Pollard is Lead Minister at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church.

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