Lent
When I got home from all my meetings yesterday, I was met with a challenge from Alyson. She said, “I’m going to go 40 days drinking nothing but water for lent and I think you should to.” I thought it was sort of silly at first, and wasn’t even interested in the idea. After all, I need coffee each morning so I can be a Christian for the rest of the day. 
After we “discussed” this for awhile, she told me to read about why she wanted to do it at blood: water mission. I did and fell in love with the idea. You can read about it, and watch the video HERE. You can read about her decision to sacrifice and drink only water HERE at her blog.
But I realize that some of you don’t know what the heck Lent is, so I thought I would sort of describe it for you. Lent is a time of sacrifice and self-reflection that many Christians do for 40-days. It’s a tradition that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. Although I can’t find a definite answer on where and why Lent became something Christians do, it’s thought that the tradition of the 40 days is to symbolize the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11).
Do you give up something for Lent? If so, what? If not, I challenge you to join me in giving up all drink except water for 40-days.
In the early church, Christians preparing for baptism would spend the time leading up to their baptism (at Easter vigil) particularly involved in prayer and cleansing. This became a time in the middle ages when penitents would be especially penitential before being reconciled to the church and receiving the Eucharist at Easter. Now it is extended to the whole church as a time of penitence, prayer, and study.
This is my first year giving something up…I chose Coke bc, trust me, it’s a sacrifice for me! – But I like your water idea thinking how Coke can be replaced with some other happy drink taking away from the point…so I’m in.
awesome rachel! glad you are going to take the challenge. we are definitely going to have to encourage one another. i’m already wanting some lemonade…
I am with you on the coffee thing….but I guess it would not be a sacrifice if you did not love it…hummm…taking the rest of the day to think about it.
thanks for the additional information kira. all that you said is definitely true. the early church chose 40 days from the 40 days Christ was in the wilderness. the way the church began to deal with that was in cleansing themselves for baptism, which is why they wore all white then, etc. so what are you giving up?
haha. come on crystal. you and aarron make the plunge and join us in drinking water. you know you wanna!
This year, I decided to give up sleep. Not sleep altogether, but that 30 minutes of sleep in the morning when I know I should get up and spend time with God, but I really want to crawl back under the warm blankets. This morning was hard. I really wanted to stay in bed, but I think God knew that. He sent my puppy to wake me up with a cold nose to my face. Setting two alarms (one across the room) helps too!
ashley that’s a great idea. i need to do something like that… i wish we had a puppy. haha
A few years ago we decided to join some friends of our in observing Lent. My wife chose Diet Coke and I believe I gave up caffeine. It was, however, more of a “let’s see if I can do it” sort of thing for me. Last year I gave up coffee and while it was definitely a sacrifice I don’t think I got as much out of it as I should have. This year my wife and I have both given up sweets. This will truly be a challenge and I am looking forward to how God works in this time of sacrifice for the two of us.
Good for your jeremy. Maybe Alyson and I will give that up next year. We will see. So far, I’ve got a splitting headache for not having coffee today. I hate that I’m feeling the effects of Lent already. haha.
I also started the 40 days of water. It’s hard! I too need my coffee in the morning so I don’t bite people’s heads off. Though I did pick up some chocolate covered espresso beans today which should help. I’m so excited about this. I have never EVER participated in Lent. It was never discussed at our church. Your wife clarified some things for me yesterday and after that, I was in!
haha. awesome. alyson is great. she talked me into it as well!
Way to go, Reverend! I gave up religion for relationship three years ago and for the past three years Holy Spirit has been burning religion out of me! Ouch! It was deeply imbedded, but what freedom to meet Him like the disciples did—the real Jesus!
joyce
Here’s an interesting find on Lent and 40 days! Hopefully you’ll find it interesting too http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/7/Forty_Days_of_Lent.html