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“What are you giving up for
Lent?” Have you been asked this question? Perhaps you’ve
already given it some thought.
Having grown up Lutheran, I
had not heard of the concept of giving up something for
Lent until I got to college. It came as an interesting
idea to me and so I experimented with giving up
various things. Every Lent, it was something different:
chocolate, ice cream, coffee. One brave year, I
surrendered all three. Yet, despite my earnest efforts
at Lenten discipline, I found that the only noticeable
result was a modest savings in my snack budget.
After a few years, I decided
to try not giving up something during Lent. Instead, I
added something. After all, Lent is not just about
fasting; it’s about feasting. The whole reason for
giving up something is to make more room for God in our
lives — so that we can feast on God’s mercy. Adding a
spiritual discipline, I found, is a great way to observe
Lent. It can draw you into a heightened awareness of
God’s presence in your daily life and truly prepare you
for the celebration of Easter.
Over the years, I’ve sampled
various disciplines and discovered myriad treasures. Maybe they'll inspire you to add something
this Lent.
Making Time for God
It all begins with carving out time for God. Admittedly,
this sounds impossible. Our days are so full with so
many activities that one more thing on the to-do list
just might push us over the edge. We cannot forget,
however, that God is our very source of life — not just
another item bulging out of our overstuffed daily
planner. When we take time for God, we are refueled. It
changes the way we perceive our lives and suddenly, all
our burdens feel lighter. Many people report increased
productivity on days when they take time for a spiritual
practice.
Martin Luther used to pray
for four hours a day (in addition to the five hours of
communal prayer) and it was said that on his busiest
days, he would double his prayer time. German theologian
Helmut Thieliche wrote: “Luther prayed this much, not
despite his busy life, but so he could accomplish his gigantic labors. To work without praying
and without listening means only to grow and spread
oneself upward, without striking roots and without
creating an equivalent in the earth. A person who works
this way is living unnaturally.”
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