Loving Lent?

I love Lent. Mostly. I often say I have a love/hate relationship with fasting, because I love the spiritual benefits but hate not eating. Part of Lent for me is some version of fasting or sacrifice so I can't say I enjoy that, but I do enjoy the discipline.

When Ash Wednesday rolls around each year I am ready to reorient my priorities after the laxness of the winter slump, that time after Christmas when the dark days encourage too much hot chocolate and too little exercise.

I didn't grow up "doing" Lent, and my early years practicing the season focused mostly on giving up food, like chocolate or sugar. Often my own deprivations I imposed unilaterally on my family, at times against their will. One particular season when I said we weren't have that food because it was Lent my son replied, "I didn't put those ashes on my forehead."

Through the years I have learned and added other ways to observe the season, lengthened prayer times, surrendering social media, last year I blogged daily. Any type of discipline fits this time of the Christian year when we remember Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. And when we remember that, giving up chocolate pales in comparison.

One of my favorite preachers J. Ellsworth Kalas wrote a delightful piece on flunking Lent.  http://elink.asburyseminary.edu/flunking-lent/ He describes how his best intentions don't quite work out, but he still enters each Lent with high expectation. I learned years ago that if I do mess up my plan, to stay the course and start again, instead of abandoning ship mid-journey.

Having learned so many ways to observe Lent, I try to encourage people to find what works for them, giving something up, taking something on. The year my mother died unexpectedly in February, I felt too sad for more deprivation during Lent. What I like about the solemn observation of Lent comes in the increased joy and expectation for Resurrection at the end.

Whatever you do for Lent this year, little, lot or nothing, I hope your practice brings you to a new place of solidarity with Christ. Happy Lent seems an oxymoron, but I hope yours is meaningful.